By Ann Marie Byrd, Feature Writer
When I sat down with Jim Green to talk about their iconic downtown New Bern restaurant, the Cow Café, I couldn’t help asking: “With 50 flavors of ice cream, which one is your favorite?” “Mint chocolate chip,” he said. “Oh my gosh, me too,” I said.
And the rest of the conversation was as lovely as the ice cream. Jim and Mildred Green met while working at New Bern’s own Maola milk and ice cream plant. She started working there right out of high school in 1969 as a keypunch operator, and climbed her way up the ranks through human resources. Because of her work ethic and determination, years later she landed the role of vice-president. Jim was persuaded to join the company in 1993 after much persuasion from the president of the company and admittedly weary of “too many nights looking at motel room walls.”
Jim and Mildred had worked together for some time, until one day, tired of the confines of the plant, they went out to an early dinner with a view of the water to talk business. “Mildred was very tough. We had been working together on a big project. It was winter. But as we sat together at the table that night, everything changed. We were sitting down and her hands were cold, so she was warming them over the candle on the table. Suddenly, she looked different to me – softer. I wanted to touch her hands.”
They were married July 14, 1994.
Love propelled the first Cow Café on the site of the Maola plant in 1994, but when the plant was sold, Jim and Mildred kept their little treasure, and opened the current café on 314 Middle Street in 2004.
Perhaps you are thinking, “So what’s the big deal? It’s just an ice cream shop.” Or is it? Or could it be a just a little magical? Children love to come here. Sure, kids, ice cream—obvious. But there’s a bit more to it.
Like the “kindness wall,” where children draw pictures of what kindness means to them. Interestingly, Mildred and Jim have noticed that children are often more interested in looking at the drawings and artwork on the wall than rushing to the counter for ice cream. They enjoy learning and processing the ideas. My favorite drawing is by a little boy named Warden, who has drawn a picture of a cow serving his favorite ice cream to him at the counter and the caption reads: “I think kindness tastes like ice cream (moo so good).”
Last month, a young man, about 6’2 tall, came into the shop with his mother, and as a child, the café was his favorite place. They were on the way to drop him off to begin his college career at a local university. But before he could say his goodbyes to New Bern, he wanted one last thing: to ride the rocking cow one more time. Now just to be clear, the rocking cow, located in the back playroom stands about three feet tall and is currently missing one eye. But love is funny. Faded paint and missing eyes sometimes don’t matter. So that young man rode the rocking cow of his childhood—and as the story goes, he rode for some time. And he left for college feeling a bit steadier, a bit more confident for the next phase of his life.
A woman recently came into the shop with her daughter, and while waiting to order, met a handsome man. They started talking in line, then continued talking across the tables. One small step after another, they were married at the chapel down the street, and after the wedding, came into the café for ice cream and photos before their reception to remember the exact place that they met and fell in love, because the shop is where the magic began.
A grandfather took all the grandbabies to the café each time they visited for many years. It was a family tradition and it was hard to tell who loved the train that circled the ceiling more, the kids or grand-daddy. They made memories, laughed and celebrated birthdays in the café. They came to story-time with Mildred, who read to them her original book about little blue moo, the little calf whose ice cream comes out blue because he is different than all the others: “What does it matter if you’re brown, black or blue; for God makes us all and He’s made this little calf too.”
When gran-daddy passed, the family buried him just around the corner from the cafe, and then proceeded back to his favorite place for one last ice cream together – because it just felt like the right thing to do.
I do believe this place is sprinkled with a bit of fairy dust.
But time marches on, and one can’t help but wonder when the beloved café is going to come to an end. How long will Mildred and Jim continue to make ice cream, popcorn, sandwiches…and most importantly, memories? To this Jim replied: “Are we ready to retire? When do you decide to stop doing good for people? There is no greater joy than seeing kids smile.”
Sweetness. Right to the very end.
