The Origin of “Worms and Coffee”

The Origin of “Worms and Coffee”?Hwy 211 & Midway Rd.

In May of 1993 my wife and I purchased Midway Trading Post as light retirement after spending 28 years in the telecommunications industry. In fact that 28 years was such a long time ago I remember my first job assignment was located in the back of a barber shop in Loup City, NE removing the last working operator cord board (Bulls Eye Cord Board) in the U.S.  After removal its destination was to be the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, DC. WOW, I don’t seem that old as it feels like it was only yesterday. But it gives me a realization of where technology has been and what the future holds.

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Anyway back to Midway Trading Post, Home of: “Worms & Coffee”. After purchasing Midway it took about 3 weeks to realize I didn’t like changing the road sign every few days to announce store promotions or greetings. It was obvious that after a while it would require a great amount of endless imagination.  One evening out with friends and after a couple cocktails and a great dinner we started brain storming and bingo, the birth of “Worms and Coffee”.
I had no intentions of making “Worms & Coffee” a permanent fixture until I attempted to take it down. It was at that time I realized how well it had caught on. Customers and passersby alike would stop and literally ask me to put it back up as it had become a landmark and an oddity for giving directions, “Go to Worms & Coffee and turn…..” That was sixteen years ago.
Since then the “Worms & Coffee” signage has had national and international coverage. Pictures have been on Americas Funniest Videos, David Letterman and Jay Leno. They have appeared in numerous newspapers and national magazines. The biggest being a full page on the inside back cover of the September 1997 issue of Road & Track magazine. The signage also appeared in the British Petroleum (BP) trade magazine in the UK as I was BP at one time.  It has appeared in two movies, a music video and lastly I was contacted by a book publisher as they wanted to include this signage in a marketing text book for college use.

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In winding down I would like to add that we also started selling “T-Shirts and Hats” depicting “Worms & Coffee at Half Hell Swamp” (that being another story) and have had this apparel go to Germany, England, Australia, Canada, Japan, Iceland and of course all over the United States. I would like to give my wife credit for the design and the artwork on our apparel as it has been a big success.
All in all not a bad run that started out over dinner and a couple cocktails in 1993. If I had a dollar for every picture that had been taken of the signs I believe I could have locked the doors to “Worms & Coffee” years ago. But then I would be closing a great chapter in my life and I’m not ready to do that.

I’ll be updating this blog weekly with stories from my years here in Brunswick County and believe me there have been a bunch. I’ll also be reviewing Brunswick County golf courses, restaurants and other service providers like Doctors, Lawyers, Car Dealers, etc. so stay tuned for some fun stuff and some useful information from a long time Brunswick County resident.

Thanks for reading,

Midway

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