CLINTON, Tenn. — There are hidden gems all across East Tennessee and in Clinton, it's no different. While plenty of places pepper the downtown area, a 93-year-old business proves tradition is always in style.
Inside Hoskins Drug Store, customers can find basically everything including prescriptions, gifts, memorabilia, sweet treats and plenty to eat. While things have changed and technology has advanced since the store opened in 1930, so much has stayed the same.
That's exactly what the original owner, RC Hoskins, would have wanted too. He passed away in 1999 and his daughters, Dudley Hoskins Bostic and Mollie Hoskins Scarbrough, continue to run the store along with many other family members.
Family is an important piece of this business' culture. While there are many members of the Hoskins family employed there, the regular customers who come in are treated like they are a part of the family tree. You don't have to be blood to be loved.
The iconic soda fountain has counter seating and wooden booths lining half of the shop. There is always a good group of people there in the mornings and afternoons to grab a daily special, and at night to snag a sweet treat.
While Hoskins Drug Store is the main location people think of and probably see most often when driving down North Main Street in Clinton, there are two other businesses associated with the Hoskins name.
Hoskins Medical Supply is right next door, with a drive-through in the parking lot. Hoskins in the Flat is the third location, that sells everything from flowers to gifts during every part of the year. The unique shop is a "hidden gem" in its own right, according to Bostic.
Hoskins Drug Store is open every day but Sunday. You can swing by from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays. The drug store location is right across the street from the Anderson County Court House in Clinton.