IT’S ONE of the oldest businesses in Manchester. A step inside the 94-year-old building, and you will be transported back in time— when mom-and-pop stores were in their heyday. Everyone knew everyone, and the pharmacy was the community hub.
Bakers Bros. Drug Company opened its doors in 1928 by owners Dee and Lee Baker. The pharmacy offered all the essentials, filled prescriptions, and had a soda fountain. The Farrar Clinic also opened upstairs, just above the store, the same year. The clinic stayed in operation until the 1970s.
The business was ahead of the times, as they were the first business in town to have a neon sign and the first to have carpet and air conditioning. In its history, the store has expanded three times, allowing them to continue offering new and additional services.
FROM 1928 TO 2020
Moving forward and providing excellent customer service has always been the standard for Baker Bros. Drug Company. That same standard can be seen today under the new owner, Sara Adams. Adams became owner in January 2021 after the previous owners, Dawn and Craig Hafer, presented her with the opportunity to purchase the business.
“Around Thanksgiving in 2020, the Hafer’s presented me with the offer to purchase the pharmacy,” she said. “I went to Coffee County Bank (CCB), and thanks to Melanie Hackett, my bookkeeper; Gerald Ewell, my lawyer; and the entire team at CCB, two months later I purchased Baker Bros. I didn’t want to see it become a chain and always wanted to own a business.”
Adams has a long history with the pharmacy and felt it was fate that she would become the next owner of Baker Bros.
“My first memory was the first time I ever walked in there,” said Adams. “I had just finished a job shadowing another pharmacist, Jerry Bartlett, at Unity hospital. He recommended I stop by Baker Brothers, see Dawn Hafer, and job shadow her. Ten years ago, I walked in and asked to speak to Dawn. I’ve been there ever since. It’s been my only job.”
Becoming a pharmacist is something that Adams said has been a long-time in the making. Her love of helping others came from helping take care of her mother, who was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis.
“My mom and I moved to Manchester when I was 6,” explained Adams. “She was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis when she was pregnant with me. Once we moved back to Manchester, I helped her with whatever she needed. She’s progressed now to being confined to her bed. But I remember helping her with her medications and giving her a subcutaneous shot on an orange. I’ve helped with her medications for a while. Plus, I loved chemistry in school, so it went hand in hand.”
MOVING FORWARD, HONORING THE PAST
Taking on the ownership of such a wellknown and historic local business is not something that Adams takes lightly. She understands the importance of preserving it for the community.
“It is a huge responsibility,” she said. “We are coming up on our 100th anniversary, and I feel a great responsibility to keep something alive that has been dear to so many. It is vital to me to preserve the store’s history and nostalgia.”
While working hard to preserve the pharmacy’s history, she is also looking toward the future and how to serve her customers best.
“I want to implement more services to our patients,” explained Adams. “Right now, I have dived into learning about Medicare Part D and Medicare Advantage plans, so I am providing a plan review of what Part D or Advantage plan would be best for them. I’ve also always wanted to implement pill packaging, so it’s easier for patients to take their medications.”
While she knows the pharmacy will have to move along with the times in its way, she wants her customers to know that one thing that will always stay the same is the pharmacy’s dedication to its customers.
“I never want to be too big,” said Adams. “Customer service will always be at the top, along with efficiency. Our staff will always be able to answer the phone with no automated systems. We will always work to have prescriptions ready to go when customers walk in, and we will continue to know customers by name and to know their families. These things are the most important.” GN
