Kearney, NE, Entrepreneurs Share Secrets of Their Success 

Melenbacker Photography

A solid environment – complete with a sturdy business ecosystem, community resources and support – is key when building a business, and Kearney offers all the above. 

Take it from local entrepreneurs Brandon Green and Veronica Piñon, who have turned long-held ideas into profitable enterprises. 

Green, a longtime restaurant manager in Kearney, relocated from Chicago 18 years ago. In 2023, he opened The Wreck Room, a space designed to give people a chance to relieve stress by smashing objects in a safe environment. 

Piñon moved with her family to Kearney from Mexico in 1993. Drawing on decades of previous business experience in family businesses, she opened Piñon Market, a Latino-focused grocery store, in 2021. 

Tell us about your business. 

Green: This is my first time starting a business. I had dreamed of it for a while. I heard about the concept popping up in other places and thought it was a good idea. I knew if breaking something would help with stress, I would pay for it. 

Piñon: I come from a line of entrepreneurs. My grandfather had a liquor store, and my grandmother had a grocery store in Mexico. I worked in family businesses from the time I was little. Wherever they went, my aunt, my mother and other family members would start their own businesses, so I always thought it was the way to make a living and support a family. I saw the need in this community for a place that would serve the Latino population, which is growing. 

What do you love about owning a business in Kearney? 

Green: It’s just so fun. We get to witness a lot of great moments for people. There’s a college group that’s been here twice. They are high energy and really break a lot of things. There have also been emotional moments. For example, there was a guy who had just lost his wife. He was breaking stuff, then started crying. He looked much lighter when he walked out. It helps people process grief and stress. 

Piñon: As a business owner, you are giving yourself to the community by providing a service. You are building something you will have for a lifetime. 

What is challenging about owning a business? 

Green: I’d say juggling time is one of the most challenging things for me. I also think marketing is kind of a challenge. There are people in town who know me but don’t know about The Wreck Room. I’m working to spread the word. 

Piñon: My business is still pretty new, and I don’t have many employees, so I do a lot of it myself. It takes a lot of energy. 

What advice would you give someone considering starting a business in Kearney? 

Green: I would emphasize prep work. The more prep you do before you open, the less often you run into hiccups or surprises. Get your plan laid out before implementation, even the little things. If I could go back now, I would have done even more. 

Piñon: The main thing is to be aware that your life will change. Have a conversation with your family and let them be involved. If they are not there, they don’t know what is going on. Communicate all the time.