Opened around 1994 as Mildred's Cottage Gourmet in Micanopy, Florida, owners Russell and Nancy Baum relocated the restaurant to Gainesville in 1998.
[4] In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the owners of the restaurant worked with local advocacy groups to donate food and deliver meals.
[1] They also adjusted the restaurant's seating arrangements to account for local indoor dining restrictions.
Sides include North Florida okra, chestnut, turnip, melon and persimmon.
Similar to Mildred's, the New Deal Cafe uses locally sourced ingredients, including beef from the University of Florida, but instead focuses on more fast casual menu items like hamburgers.