Our Story

The business was originated in 1932 by Hiney Neufeld, and was known as the “Cozy Lunch.” He advertised the bar and grill as a “modern hamburger shop.” Neufeld operated the business until 1937 when it was sold to a father and son named Robert and Roy Schultz. Shirley Reetz’s father and mother, Roy and Thelma “Mimi” Schultz operated the Cozy Lunch from 1937 to 1957, when Raymond and Shirley Reetz purchased the business. At that time, the seating capacity was only 50 people.

The Reetzs managed the business as the Cozy Lunch until 1964. Then, additional buildings were purchased and completely remodeled, which increased the seating capacity to 180 people. The name then changed to Chances “R” Restaurant. Expansion was risky, so “chances are, we’ll go broke,” Raymond confided to Shirley, “but I want to give it a try.” At that time, a private meeting room called the Shir-Ra Room was made available for meetings and banquets.

This was also when off-premises catering to local and surrounding areas began. In August 1978, their daughter and son-in-law Suzanne and Tom Vanous joined the restaurant as partners in the operation. The catering service by this time had grown to be able to serve up to 1,000 people. Their son, Jason Reetz joined the business with his wife, Holly, in 1999.

In 1983, the restaurant was remodeled and expanded once more to include the Hob-Nob Lounge and Tommy-Suz Beer Garden. This increased the seating capacity to 550 people. The building was redecorated with mahogany woodwork, stained glass and brass in the lounge, West Dining Room and Shir-Ra Rooms and oak woodwork in the East Dining Room. The Tommy-Suz Beer Garden designed to be more casual with a mix of old-time furnishings, antique gas pumps, signs and memorabilia.

Chances “R” Restaurant and Lounge has been featured in several magazine and newspaper articles and has been recognized as the number one tour bus stop for the state of Nebraska. Raymond and Shirley Reetz received the honor of being named as the 1994 “Restaurateurs of the Year” by the Nebraska Restaurant Association. Raymond & Shirley Reetz retired in 2008 after owning Chances “R” for more than 50 years. Chances “R” Restaurant and Lounge continued to be owned and operated by their family, Tom & Suzanne Vanous, until September 2021—when Bryan and Renee Jantz took over ownership.