Got milk ... and more Got milk ... and more (August 27, 2004)

Drive-through Meadlowlark Dairy continues a rural tradition
by Kathy Cordova

The Meadowlark Dairy was born in Pleasanton and over the years has become an endearing Pleasanton institution. The same could be said of the man who runs it.

On a typical day between the hours of 6 a.m. and noon, one can find Bruce Takens holding court in a side office of the old downtown building on Neal Street that's known for its mural of cows grazing in green pastures - and the best ice cream in town. As longtime Pleasantonians drop by to see their old friend, they're greeted heartily with a "Hey, want an ice cream?" The scene is reminiscent of Cheers; only Takens is serving up Frosties instead of mugs of beer.

Takens, 48, has lived in Pleasanton his whole life, and he's been a part of the dairy almost as long. The youngest son of Jannes and Janna Takens - who took over operation of the dairy in the '50s - Bruce has fond memories of feeding calves and hauling hay when Pleasanton was just a sleepy farm town. He milked cows as a teenager and processed milk until he bought the Meadowlark from his parents in 1986. He's been there most days since.

"He does everything," says his sister, Winnie Smith, who has been working with Bruce at the dairy for 20 years. "He's the plumber, the electrician, the ice man, the milk man. His wife Patti does the bookwork. Patti is behind the scenes and Bruce is on the scenes."

"It's like a restaurant; you work all the time," says Bruce. "When I'm not here, my sister is. She can spray the water on the flames and keep them from getting too high."

"The town's changed a lot," says Bruce, who is a generous donor of time and goods to the community. "When people come back for class reunions or to visit, they always come here to check in and see where everybody is. If they've been away for a while, they stop by to visit and they can't believe (the dairy) is still here.

"We've had kids whose grandparents brought them through here and now they're bringing their grandkids through here. How cool is that?"

The Meadowlark Dairy was founded in the early 1900s by Walter Briggs Sr. on 153 acres on Foothill Road. Meadowlark was the first certified dairy in California, earning a Grade A designation for cleanliness and quality.

Jannes and Janna Takens immigrated to the U.S. from Holland after World War II and first moved to Berkeley where Janna's cousin who sponsored them lived. Eventually the Takens settled in Pleasanton, where they still live, and began working on the dairy. In 1958, the Takenses signed a 10-year lease for the dairy and bought it in the 1960s after Briggs' death.

The Briggs family sold the property, so Takens moved the cows from Pleasanton to Tracy in 1968 and built a milk processing plant at 57 W. Neal St., where the dairy remains today. The dairy has been a drive-though since it opened in July 1969, replacing the former drive-through dairy on Foothill Road.

When Bruce took over, the Takenses sold the cows and quit processing milk. "I wanted to quit working so hard," he says. "The cows don't quit giving milk on holidays."

Now all the dairy products come from Foster Farms. Bruce notes that Foster Farms owns its own dairies and processes its own milk, which is important to him.

The dairy started selling Frosties in the early '80s - the result of happenstance and diet trend converging to create destiny.

In 1980, the Takens bought an old van at a school auction. Inside was the original Frosty machine.

"We were processing milk and we had a lot of cream left over," recalls Bruce because of the new demand for fat-free products. "We used to feed the skim milk to the calves and the pigs because it was a waste," he says, laughing. "Then, all of a sudden, you had to be drinking nonfat and lowfat milk."

At first the Takens made Frosties just for friends and family, but soon they were selling the creamy concoctions at the drive-in for 50 cents. Now the dairy is renowned for its Frosties, which come in three sizes at the still reasonable prices of $1.50, $1.75, and $2. This summer the dairy added a new flavor to the traditional Frosty offerings - orange, which tastes like a Creamsicle when swirled with vanilla.

Frosties and other icy treats make up about half the dairy's sales these days; assorted groceries from bread to cereal to graham crackers are also available. Unlike some convenience markets, the prices are generally about the same as grocery stores. "A half-gallon of milk is cheaper than the stores," boasts Bruce, who clearly cares about people more than profits.

"Our best customer is the woman with two car seats," says Bruce. "The kids are sleeping in the back and she needs a loaf of bread and a gallon of milk." Hot days bring more ice cream sales, but rainy days are good for sales of milk and bread.

On a typical afternoon in August, the temperature in town is in the '90s. The cars are lined up out to the street as perky teenagers in "Got Milk?" T-shirts and running shoes bustle to serve the waiting minivans and SUVs.

Katie Borland, a dairy regular - although her two daughters, Delanne, 9, and Emily, 7, have outgrown their car seats - pulls into the line. "It's a great place to go when you're a mess," she says. "When you just need milk and eggs and you don't want to run into anyone."

Marilyn Bestion from San Ramon is in the next car. She orders a medium cone - chocolate and vanilla swirled. Her Pleasanton friends told her about the dairy and now she comes here at least once a week. "Every time I'm in the neighborhood, I drop by," she says. "They are so fast; they always have a million people working and they have great ice cream."

The dairy employs 25-30 friendly, efficient high school and college kids who serve cars from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., seven days a week. Many of the employees have lived in Pleasanton their whole lives.

Laiken Matteson, 18, a Pleasantonian by birth, has worked at the dairy for two years. She's known Bruce even longer since he was her soccer coach for seven years. "He likes kids a lot," she says. "He likes to joke around. He and Patti are really great bosses."

Supervisor Karen Reid, a St. Mary's College student who has worked at the dairy since April, agrees. "Bruce is an awesome guy," she says. "He works really hard. It's fun and relaxed here. You can have as many Frosties as you want!"

On busy days, other Takens family members - including Bruce and Patti's children, Katelyn, 17, and Jesse, 16 - pitch in to help. Bruce's brother, Bob, also lives in Pleasanton and works in quality assurance in the biomedical industry, but when there's a rush at the dairy, he's on call.

"We're all involved. It's a family tradition," says Bob, who remembers good times growing up on the dairy, climbing trees, hiking the hills, and making pets out of their favorite cows. "I'm happy to see that the dairy has stayed in the family."

On this afternoon, Mike Gutierrez, owner of Emilio's restaurant, which used to be El Portal, rides up on his bicycle to order a Frosty.

"Meadowlark Dairy has been a long-time independent business here in Pleasanton and I know how hard that is," he says. "They're one of the last remaining old-time Pleasanton spots; they're an institution. They've been a customer of ours over the years and it's nice to return the favor."
Popquote:

"We've had kids whose grandparents brought them through here and now they're bringing their grandkids through here. How cool is that?" - Bruce Takens, owner of Meadowlark Dairy

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