Whether going to the shore, shopping for produce or on a Sunday drive, area residents have dropped by the Evergreen Dairy Bar on Route 70 in Southampton for 74 years.
Many high school students get jobs to gain spending money, and Deborah Ware did just that about 35 years ago.
That part-time job became full time as she is now the owner and operator of the Evergreen Dairy Bar, the 74-year-old ice cream stand and diner on Route 70 in rural Southampton Township.
"I inherited it," Ware said.
Ware explained that Tommy Cienkowski, who founded Evergreen when he was about 26 years old, didn't have any children.
"As he got older, I took care of him, Ware told 70and73.com. "He had stepchildren, but I always took care of him, his house and his wife Marion. When she passed away, I inherited the dairy." Tommy died in 2014 at age 91 and Marion died three years later.
The couple opened the ice cream stand that is part of Evergreen Dairy Bar in 1949, a few years after Tom came home from the U.S. Army, Ware said. The diner part of the establishment opened in 1952.
Deborah Ware, one of the owners, prepares a chocolate and vanilla swirl cone.Â
Then and now, the eatery and ice cream stand have the look and feel of the 1950s. A jukebox occupies one corner. A classic-car cruise night meets every Tuesday.
About a decade ago, the establishment began accepting credit cards — after Ware said she explained to then-89-year-old Tom that he would still get paid for customer orders — and began to stay open all year long, according to Ware.
"It was harder to find help every season," she said. "I was the one looking for that help. So I was like, 'Why don't we just stay open?' Tom didn't mind, and now we have (regular) employees."Â Â
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Do not expect throwback car hops to take your order here. Instead, you will see her husband and co-owner James Ware and sons Michael Ware and Joshua Ware taking the orders. Local teenagers lend a hand, especially during summer when business is brisker than in other seasons.
While it always has been the Evergreen, it did don a disguise recently as "Angie's Roadside Diner."
That was for a cameo appearance in M. Night Shyamalan's eerie psychological horror film, "Knock at the Cabin," which was filmed in the woods of the Pine Barrens and released this year. Â
Evergreen Dairy Bar's menu contains traditional fare such as pancakes, waffles and omelets for the early-morning crowd. Lunch includes hot dogs, hamburgers, cheesesteaks, salads and hoagies. Temporary items, like pumpkin ice cream, get added to the menu in their seasons.
During the summer, many customers are heading to or coming from visits to the Jersey Shore.
We also "get a ton of Leisuretown (retirement community) people here, which is nice," Ware said. "They are one of the hugest parts of our customer base, which we appreciate. ...We get a lot of ladies that are meeting for lunch and a lot of church groups."
The Wares, who live in Chatsworth, support the Southampton Township community in return.
Evergreen Dairy Bar is often used as a gathering place for local groups or a spot to catch up with friends.Â
The dairy bar's Facebook page shows that in the past 12 months it has donated ice cream and water ice to the municipality's summer concert series, allowed customers to donate part of their bill to a local child needing a therapy dog and offered a spot for a local dance group to host a car wash. During a July visit by 70and73.com, a sign noted that first responders get their ice cream for free.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the establishment took the same approach as many restaurants: it pivoted to takeout.
But, as with many small businesses, challenges persist even after the pandemic.
Her younger son is in business school. "I keep telling him (when you own your own business) you have got employees to think about, you got people waiting for you, you have to run your food low, and if anything's gone bad, you're losing money, because you have to get rid of all that stuff and start fresh."
Customers "are probably the best part of my day because they're happy to see us and we're happy to see them. And they always want to share with us what's going on."
Erase these present-day cars in your mind and picture the bays filled with family sedans from the 1940s.
Next year, Evergreen Dairy Bar turns 75. Ware said she is still figuring out how to celebrate the special anniversary. She also said she is still trying to figure out long-term plans for the establishment, but does hope it can be around for at least another 75 years, even if it does not remain in the Ware family.
Meanwhile, she will continue to operate the business. Although she said her husband is recognized more when they are away from the dairy bar because she usually cooks, grills or prepares food in the kitchen, she does sometimes help serve customers ice cream when the stand has a long line.
The most popular ice cream flavor? The very vintage vanilla, according to Ware.
A properly themed mural for the Dairy Bar, especially considering the classic car nights it hosts.
IF YOU GO:Â
Evergreen Dairy Bar is at 1643 Route 70 in Southampton Township. The diner is open from 5 a.m. to 2 p.m. every day except Tuesdays, when it remains open until 8 p.m. The ice cream dairy bar is open from noon to 10 p.m. every day. For more information, go to the dairy bar's Facebook page.
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