July was a fun month—we hosted two awesome events! The Strictly Business team held our Friends4Lunch networking at McKinney’s Irish Pub (mckinneyspub.com/lincoln). It’s always amusing to hear people say, “I didn’t know McKinney’s has food!” To which we will inform them that McKinney’s actually has really yummy food. It’s just as awesome of a lunch or dinner spot as it is a bar. Speaking of bars, we visited a new-to-us bar for our Friends4Drinks event last month. We had an amazing turnout at Ironhorse Bar & Event Room (ironhorseroom.com). The venue had free appetizers for our guests, as they do every Wednesday from 4 to 7 p.m. and drink specials until close at 10 p.m. Thank you to all who attended these Strictly Business events and supported these local businesses.

Friends4Drinks at Rock ‘n’ Joe Coffee with MUSIC BINGO on August 12, 4:30-6:30 p.m.

Please join us for a unique networking opportunity on Friday, August 12, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at Rock ‘n’ Joe Coffee (rocknjoe.com), 5025 Lindberg St.! Rock ‘n’ Joe will host this month’s Friends4Drinks after-hours event, and they have arranged Music Bingo for our group. This is something we’ve done before and it was a total blast! Rock ‘n’ Joe has a delicious wine selection on tap from Whispering Winds Vineyards in York in addition to other cocktails, brews, and beverages at the bar. They have lovely indoor and outdoor seating on their patio. Come for a good time!

Friends4Lunch at Lila Mae’s Southern Kitchen & Lounge on August 17, 11:30 a.m.

This month’s Friends4Lunch networking event will be at a new restaurant in Lincoln, Lila Mae’s Southern Kitchen & Lounge (facebook.com/Lila-Maes-Southern-Kitchen-and-Lounge-107860838591763), on Wednesday, August 17, starting at 11:30 a.m. Lila Mae’s, located off of South St. at 2110 Winthrop Rd., features a menu with authentic Nashville Hot Chicken and other southern fare! Enjoy soul and comfort food like shrimp and grits, smothered pork chops, greens, peach cobbler, and many other favorites. This is one you don’t want to miss!

These events are open to anyone in the business community. There is no cost to attend, you only pay for what you order.