WHEN MOST of us think of a pharmacy by today’s standards, we think of running in, grabbing our prescriptions, and running out. There might be the odd occasion where we need toilet paper or some laundry detergent that we will pick up on our way in, but the idea of “hanging around” would find most with a look of utter shock.
But then some know the pharmacy as something different. It’s a place to hear the latest news, enjoy an ice-cold coke, pick up a gift for someone special, or even enjoy some lunch. As you may have guessed, it’s also a place to have your prescriptions filled and any questions about your health answered.
Such places are not of days long forgotten but of ones open for business and ready to help you on your journey to good health.
For 64 years, Bennett’s Pharmacy has been assisting locals with their medications, vaccines, and overall health. They also happen to be quite the hub for the community from their 1960s-style lunch counter, complete with a soda fountain and a celebrity drink known as the “Blood Marty.”
Family-owned for the past three generations, pharmacist and owner Lisa Wallace said it’s all about helping people in whatever way they can.
FILLING THE FIRST SCRIPT
According to Wallace, her grandfather, Loel Bennett, opened the pharmacy just off the square in Winchester in 1958.
“We started off [on] the square just right around where Blue Front Drugs is now,” she explained. “Shortly after, we had a fire. We moved to the current location in 1960 and have been there ever since.”
Welcomed by the community, Wallace explained that the family business would grow with the addition of his daughter and Wallace’s mother, Betty Don Henshaw, becoming a fellow pharmacist and a partner in the pharmacy.
Wallace said her mother added value to the business.
“My mother was smart as a whip,” she said. “She was the first in Franklin County to have a computer in the pharmacy. That was a pretty big deal then. She also helped at the hospital when they were shortstaffed. She worked at both places until they could find someone to fill the position at the hospital.”
Wallace would grow up in the business, helping wherever she could and taking on almost every position in the pharmacy.
“You just take everything in and learn as you go,” she said. “I have done it all. I had to wash dishes when I was around 7 or 8. One of my jobs was to wash glass pill bottles. We reused them until plastic ones came along.”
Wallace would also follow in her mother’s and grandfather’s footsteps and join the family business in 1997 as a co-partner with her mother, until her mother’s passing.
“I knew I wanted to do something medical, whether it would be a physician or a pharmacist,” she said. “I just felt this place was perfect to fit right back. I love people and being able to do something to help someone.”
MORE THAN A PHARMACY
When you step into Bennett’s, it’s almost like a step back in time. You are welcomed by a retro lunch counter complete with blue vinyl bar stools and a soda fountain that seems straight out of the 60s.
Served at the lunch counter is a chicken salad plate (that Wallace claims is out of this world) with the famous “Blood Marty,” which is well-known by almost every student who attended Franklin County High School before 2007 when the school moved locations.
“The big thing is a Blood Marty. Everyone used to skip school and come and have a Bloody Marty and then go back,” said Wallace.
Wallace added that they make all their chicken salad, pimento cheese, and tuna salad from scratch, along with homemade ice cream served with their most popular sweet treat—a banana split.
“Our other big thing is a chicken salad plate. It’s amazing,” said Wallace. “People can get it here or to go. We make chicken salad anywhere from two to four times a day.”
As if friendly service and good food weren’t enough, the pharmacy also offers a selection of gifts for all ages and tastes. Whether you are coming in to shop for yourself or pick up something for a loved one, they have got you covered. Wallace added that they expanded in 2007 into what was known as the old Scenic Restaurant to provide their customers with even more to enjoy.
SOME THINGS NEVER CHANGE.
As the years have passed, Wallace said that they worked diligently to keep up with the fast world of medicine with things such as vaccines and helping their patients learn about their medications.
“We try to add things as they come available,” explained Wallace. “We do medication therapy management and a lot of vaccines. We’ve changed, but we also try to be there for our customers to help them with their medications and know them by name. They are more than just a number to us.”
What hasn’t changed, and won’t, is Wallace and her team’s dedication to providing the best possible experience for their customers. Whether they’re just stopping to pick up their prescription or staying for a while to chat and have some lunch, they want each customer to enjoy the magic of this truly unique place.
“It’s nice to come into a place where you can just relax and live in the past for a bit,” said Wallace. “We have customers who have come in since they were knee-high, to now grown adults. Here, your customers are more like your family.” GN
