KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — A family-owned business that became a landmark in the Knoxville community and welcomed political leaders to the tables of its old-time soda fountain is closing after 67 years of service. Long's Drug Store will close its doors for the last time on Jan. 16.
Long's Drug Store is a family-owned pharmacy that also offered a soda fountain, giving people a place to enjoy a meal similar to how its guests in the 1950s would eat and drink. At that time, it was common for drug stores to also offer menus for customers looking to grab a sweet drink and some food.
Its menu included breakfast selections, coffee, sandwiches and a variety of soft drinks and milkshakes. The drug store hosted some of the state's most significant figures Knoxville leaders, some District Attorneys and candidates for the state's biggest offices.
“Ultimately, this is one of the most difficult decisions we’ve ever made,” said Hank Peck in a release, the owner and pharmacist in charge at Long's Drug Store.
He said the pharmacy is closing its doors after struggling to compete with a changing business landscape for healthcare businesses. Peck also said the pharmacy continued struggling with difficulties stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Long's Drug Store offered free prescription deliveries to patients' doors and helped patients manage their medications. It is located at 4604 Kingston Pike and is open from 8 a.m. through 6 p.m. on weekdays, and 8 a.m. through 3 p.m. on Saturdays. The soda fountain closes by 2 p.m.
“The healthcare world has changed over these past six decades, and unfortunately, it's very difficult for small independent pharmacies to continue to operate within this new landscape,” said Peck.
He is a second-generation owner of the business after his father arrived in Knoxville to work for Dr. Clarence Long after the store opened in 1956. After Long died, Peck's father and uncle bought the store.
“My father, my uncle, my sisters, my wife, my children — we’ve all enjoyed working here over the years. And many folks in the West Knoxville community grew up at this gathering place, just like me," said Peck.
According to a release from Long's Drug Store, prescription records will be transferred to a CVS location on Jan. 17 to make sure patients continue receiving care.
“This store has been here for a long time because of the people who have supported it, and the folks who come in here are our family,” Peck said in a release. “We are so thankful to our community for trusting us with their health and for the many wonderful friendships and memories we have made here over the years. We will miss it very much.”