Drug stores with soda fountains?

Anyone know of a drug store in the Chicagoland area that still has a soda fountain? For whatever reason, I'm curious...

No, but Anna Held Flower Shop/Fountain Shop Cafe is an interesting flower shop and fountain shop mix. Find it at the pink Edgewater Beach Apartments Building at 5557 N. Sheridan Road.

Although I've never been inside, I'm pretty sure there's one in Andersonville on the corner of clark and catalpa. By the signs and such I think they'll have what youre looking for. If not, sorry you went all the way out there but stop in at Sunshine Cafe for dinner and then you won't be so upset.

I know there's a drug store with a soda fountain about 1/2 mile south of 83 on Harlem Avenue in Palos Heights. I don't remember the name of it but I pass it nearly every day! If I think of it, I will try to find out and update!

The drugstore on the corner for Catalpa and Clark is a cool place but it's a deli -- not a soda fountain or a diner. You can get great bagels there though as well as pick up your toothpaste.

They do have gelato and ice cream but no fountain treats. At least..i don't think so! It's not a typical, stools kinda place, anyhow.

I heartily recommend the bagels.

JB's Deli
5501 N. Clark St., Chicago
Tel: (773) 728-0600

Soda fountains around the country.

ILLINOIS
Lagomarcino’s
1422 Fifth Ave., Moline, IL
309-764-1814

IOWA
Bauder Pharmacy
3802 Ingersoll Ave., Des Moines, IA
515-255-1124

Lagomarcino’s
2132 E. 11th St., Davenport, IA
563-324-6137

INDIANA
South Side Soda Shop and Diner
1122 S. Main St., Goshen, IN

Zaharakos Ice Cream Parlor and Museum
329 Washington St., Columbus, IN
812-378-1900

MISSOURI
Clinton’s Soda Fountain
100 W. Maple Ave., Independence, MO
816-833-2046

Crown Candy Kitchen
1401 St. Louis Ave., St. Louis, MO
314-621-9650

Fox’s Drug Store
10004 E. 63rd St., Raytown, MO
816-353-1600

As I looked at that list, I seem to recall a soda fountain down in Arthur. Is it still there?

I am NOT familiar with the place although I have been in the area many times.

Dicks Pharmacy
118 S. Vine Street
Arthur, IL
A pharmacy, soda fountain and pop bottle collection all in one!
You can order treats of yesteryear such as Green Rivers, floats, phosphates, malts and shakes.
Dick’s features a marble-topped counter that was moved here in the 1930’s.
217-543-2913
http://www.dicks-pharmacy.com/

Here are some others:

Girard
Doc’s Soda Fountain
133 S. 2nd Street
Girard, IL
Located on historic Route 66, this was originally a pharmacy built in the 1880’s. The soda fountain was added to the business in the 1950’s. Stop in for an old-fashioned treat or ice-cream. Doc’s is also open for lunch and dinner.
217-627-3491
www.girardilusa.com

Greenup
Candy Kitchen
123 W. Cumberland St
Greenup, IL
217-923-3995
www.southeastillinois.com

Petersburg
Potter Drugs
200 S. 6th Street
Petersburg, IL
Pharmacy
217-632-2287

Tuscola
Flesor’s Candy Kitchen
101 West Sale Street
Tuscola, IL
Located in original 1871 building, you can enjoy homemade phosphates, ice cream sodas, floats and much more. Don’t forget to save room for your favorite hand-dipped chocolates and homemade caramels.
217-253-3753
www.flesorscandy.com
www.tuscola.org/tourism

Here's a couple more:

Anna Held Florist and Soda Fountain
5557 North Sheridan Road
Chicago, IL 60640
(773) 561-1941
(Not a drugstore, but when is the last time you saw a soda fountain in a florist?)

Saugatuck Drugstore Soda Fountain
201 Butler St
Saugatuck, MI 49453
(269) 857-2300

Used to have a soda fountain in the drug store where I lived. I loved to go there for chocolate sodas and Lime shakeups. They were made with fresh lime and soda and they were soooooooooo good.

Thanks for the name in Arthur. It was a cute place - quite busy given the nature of that town. I only had a cone.

Petersburg's fountain was a real blast from the past. Was there five years ago or so. Cute but small downtown.

Andrea's Gifts in Kenosha has a real soda fountain that's been in operation since 1912. www.andreasgifts.com

At the State Fair Grounds in Indianapolis
there is a Hook's Drugstore Museum and
Soda Fountain. I've visited it during the
fair, but I believe it's also open at other
times.

ScubaChef,

Thanks for the tip. I will be at the Indiana State Fair on August 12th. I will beeline there, because it just looks so darn cool.

Regards,

There was one on Division and Kedzie called Zoubs. Not sure if it's there anymore.

There used to be two on the corner of Kedzie & Harrison. One was Kelly Martin's and the other was Castellano Pharmacy. My dad owned Castellano Pharmacy and I began working in the drug store, behind the soda fountain in 1954. Sold my first hot dog in 1955.

Not only can't I think of a drug store with a soda fountain in my area, I can't even think of a drug store that isn't a Walgreen's or CVS. It seemed like I spent my youth in the drug store. Happy to hear there are a few still around.

GreenFish wrote:I know there's a drug store with a soda fountain about 1/2 mile south of 83 on Harlem Avenue in Palos Heights. I don't remember the name of it but I pass it nearly every day! If I think of it, I will try to find out and update!

This one closed down awhile back, not sure what year it closed down.
http://www.theregionalnews.com/images/tnh_5070.jpg < photo

Place was called Rini's and was a super cool old school store. Location was 12315 S Harlem Ave
Palos Heights, IL 60463. Store sitting empty still, peeking thru the window seem like most of the cool old stuff is long gone. Bummer eh!

There's a charming article in today's New York Times about a soda fountain renaissance:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/06/dining/a-bid-to-restore-the-allure-of-the-soda-fountain.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=soda%20genie&st=cse

Brings back memories of Zfaney's on Kimball and Foster. Closed sometime in the mid-late 70's. Always great for a phosphate after school.

I loved Rini's in Palos. Had friends in college who worked there up until the day it closed... was sad to see it go

Could the closest drug store with a soda fountain be in Amboy, Illinois? Amboy Pharmacy isn't very close (though under 100 miles) and the soda fountain isn't particularly fancy but I know of no other where you can walk across the street for an Albanian-style pizza.





Not in a drug store and also not close (over 200 miles) but Zaharakos Ice Cream Parlor is fancy, one of the most spectacular soda fountains anywhere.



Amboy Pharmacy
202 E Main St
Amboy IL
815-857-2323

Amboy Family Restaurant & Pizza Junction
"American, Albanian and Mexican Food"
211 E Main St
Amboy IL
815-857-3985

Zaharakos Ice Cream Parlor
329 Washington St
Columbus IN
812-378-1900

Curiously enough, there is a soda fountain attached to the local Aurrera Supermarket (a Walmart subsidiary) in my mother-in-law's Gertrudis Sanchez neighborhood in Morelia, Mexico. Various ice cream preparations and soft drinks.

Not sure of any left in Chicagoland, grew up with one in downtown Naperville which is long gone.

We did hit Lagomarcinos in Davenport, IA. this past Sat., top notch and inexpensive. Some pics on the Quad Cities thread in Beyond Chicagoland.

This Sat., it's a visit to Wilton Candy Kitchen in Wilton, IA. Oldest Ongoing soda fountain in the world, @ 150 years.

Wilton Candy Kitchen
310 Center
Wilton, IA.

While planning a brief trip to Iowa to bring our son to college, I learned that Strawberry Point, IA, (home of the World's Largest Strawberry!) has a nice old drug store soda fountain. I don't know if we'll get there, but it looks like the real thing.

Strawberry Point Drug
104 W Mission
Strawberry Point, IA 52076
(563) 933-4762

jimswside wrote:Not sure of any left in Chicagoland

The above mentioned Anna Held is still going strong.

Anna Held Florist and Soda Fountain
5557 North Sheridan Road
Chicago, IL 60640
(773) 561-1941

This isnt the 50s.

stevez wrote:

jimswside wrote:Not sure of any left in Chicagoland

The above mentioned Anna Held is still going strong.

Anna Held Florist and Soda Fountain
5557 North Sheridan Road
Chicago, IL 60640
(773) 561-1941

my bad steve, that one does look interesting.

I should have said: I personally havent come across a soda fountain in Chicagoland in years.

I haven't been there since it changed over, but apparently Marshall Field's Crystal Palace (a great soda fountain) has morphed into Macy's Frango Café. Reviews mention that it still has a counter with stools and serves ice cream. I don't know if they still have the Frango soda, which was my favorite, but it sounds as though the soda fountain kind of lives on. (I know -- it's not a drug store, but it's a store with a soda fountain.)

I used to love drug store soda fountains, and there were at least three I could reach easily when I was growing up in Wilmette -- two in Wilmette and one (Hoo's) in Evanston.

Anyone else remember chocolate Coke? That was one of my favorite fountain treats, along with phosphates.

Wow -- trip down memory lane. Nice to see that a few survive.