An interview with Van Eure, Owner of The Angus Barn, on career, family, and life in the Triangle

Charles & Colvard celebrates the many facets of women from the taskmasters and the nurturers to the planners and the leaders. This month, we place the spotlight on a Triangle treasure-- owner and operator of Angus Barn, Van Eure. With a career that includes numerous accolades and awards in the restaurant and hospitality industries, as well as a strong reputation for her warmth, fairness, and commitment to serving others, Van represents qualities that align with Charles & Colvard values of love, trust, and consciousness.

Van wearing a Radiant Forever One Moissanite Ring and Heart Forever One Moissanite Graduated Drop Earrings

After establishing a Montessori-type school and teaching in Africa for 5 years, Van returned to her roots and has spent the last four decades carrying on the legacy of her parents, Thad, and Alice Eure. Van continued and expanded upon their vision, growing the Angus Barn into the local landmark it is in the Triangle today. She has received the Legends Awards from the National Restaurant Association, Gold & Silver Plate Awards, and Food Service Operator of the Year to name a few.

Van wearing Forever One Moissanite Flexible Eternity Bangle, Caydia Lab Grown Diamond Inside Out Hoop Earrings, and Forever One Moissanite Cluster Halo Signature Necklace

What is the key behind her success?

Van believes that each guest is the most important person on earth while dining at the Barn. She believes in the Golden Rule of customer care: "The customer has the gold and, therefore, makes the rules. I may own the Barn, but the customer is the true boss. Customers can choose to close your doors simply by taking their business elsewhere. I am here to guide my Angus Barn family in recognition that each guest who walks through our doors is our boss."

Mirroring Van’s sentiments on customer service and the customer experience, we invited Van to tour the Charles & Colvard Signature Showroom and get a deeper look at her life behind the scenes discussing her family, her life in the Triangle and how she balances an impressive career with her most important roles as a wife and mom.

Q: Tell us a little bit about your family and some of your favorite things to do together.

A: My husband Steve and I live in Raleigh and have been married for 26 years. We have a son Chris, 28, and a daughter-in-law Sarah; a daughter Ali, 23; and an adopted daughter Jillian, 23. We enjoy card and board games, going out on the boat and water sports, and cooking and watching movies as a family.

Q: What are some of your favorite pastimes in the Triangle?

A: We loved skating at Jellybeans and always had the best time! We also used to go to Frankie’s and ride the go carts or play putt-putt.

Q: Share the knowledge! What are some of your favorite mom hacks that you used when raising your children?

A: Since I was older when I started a family, I knew that getting upset or frustrated would not help the situation, so I took a different approach when it came to my children’s attitude or behavior. I would let them know that I was so glad that they were normal and that what they were going through was normal for their age. Sometimes they appreciated my calm approach and sometimes it would frustrate them further, but I didn’t let their attitude rule the home. If I continued to get eye rolls and sighs, then I just made them do push-ups!

Van wearing Caydia Lab Grown Diamond Ouro Edition Round Hoop Earrings and Caydia Lab Grown Diamond Ouro Edition Teardrop Double Halo Necklace

When we would go on day trips or family vacations, we would give each of the kids a handful of $1 dollar bills. They had to give a dollar to anyone that they did or said something mean to, with the promise that they could keep whatever money was left over. It was a great incentive and really worked!

We also instilled the value of hard work in our children, giving them a different chore each year as they grew up. My children started doing their own laundry at seven years old, being responsible for their own belongings.

Q: What is a piece of advice that you wished you would have been given before having children?

A: I may have been too strict on certain things with the kids. I wish I would have known to pick my battles a little better. Also, I realized that it is important to not have intense discussions with your spouse for too long in front of the kids.

Q: What are some of your favorite places or activities in the Triangle that help you relax and unwind?

A: Taking care of animals is very important to me. I have four rehabilitated horses, a donkey, a cat, and a dog. Every morning, I go out to the barn and clean stalls or organize the tack room. I don’t take my phone and it is incredibly peaceful. I have always taken in horses that have been abused, nurtured them back to good health, and then found homes for them. This led to starting The Cheyenne Foundation (website coming soon) that raises awareness and funds for the rights and care of horses in the area.

Being in the food service industry, I am very conscious of how my hands and nails look so every other weekend, I go to Queen Nails at Quail Corners. It is a happy spot for me, beautiful and relaxing with a kind staff who take great care of me!

I also love going to The Triangle Shooting Academy\- it is so much fun!

Q: Describe your perfect night out, whether with your friends or family.

A: Steve and I don’t go on too many date nights but we love to shoot pool at home and take it very seriously! When I need to practice, I go to Sharky’s (so I can beat Steve in our home tournament). They have incredible bar food and the best gumbo! We love trying out different restaurants as a family but honestly my favorites are Chargrill and Gonza’s! When Jillian comes home to visit, our family tradition is to go to Gonza’s the first night she is back.

Q: What is your favorite clothing store in the Triangle?

A: I don’t have a lot of time to shop but I enjoy going into Swagger Boutique. They are amazing! They are so helpful and I can get in and out quickly after picking up a few beautiful things.

Q: What are some of your most treasured heirloom pieces that you plan to pass down to your children?

A: I have several pieces of jewelry that I always wear including my father’s wedding band which will go to Ali. When I taught in Kenya, my students gave me a gold necklace in the shape of Africa which I plan to hand down to Jillian and my mother’s wedding ring will go to my daughter-in-law Sara. My father’s personal guns, not the ones on display at the Angus Barn, will go to Chris.

Q: How was your experience at Charles & Colvard today? Were there any jewelry pieces that really caught your eye? A: Even though the place is absolutely beautiful, it is not stuffy. From the moment that I met the Charles & Colvard team, I realized that they were genuine. They were so kind and made me feel relaxed and special. The jewelry is all gorgeous and classic but I truly fell in love with their rose gold hoop earrings!