After eight decades, the soda fountain at Whaley's Pharmacy is about to stop flowing.
The pharmacy, which has three Jefferson City locations, announced late last week it had been sold to Walgreens. The business will close its doors Wednesday.
"From the original corner drugstore, to meeting a wide variety of medical needs, to supporting new moms and their babies, Whaley's has been blessed by each customer who has walked through our doors," the company's announcement flier read.
The statement said patients would receive notifications with details about their prescriptions, which will be automatically transferred to the closest Walgreens location. Pharmacy staff members will also have the opportunity to apply for employment with Walgreens, the notice said.
Kris Lathan, a Walgreens spokesperson, said the acquisition covered the pharmacy files and its inventory.
"Walgreens has a long history of serving communities throughout the U.S. and looks forward to providing Whaley's customers with greater access to a wide range of trusted pharmacy and healthcare services," Lathan wrote in an email.
While Whaley's owner Stacy Welling did not respond to a request for comments, Jefferson City Area Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Gary Plummer said it is always a blow to the community when a locally grown chain closes its doors.
"It's painful to see a legacy business like that, but it's been a trend in our community as of late," Plummer said. "We're kind of getting used to that shift in the economy, less of the local ownership that used to be here in many cases, and it can be hard to accept."
Plummer said the news of the sale hadn't reached him before the statements were placed in stores, despite the chamber holding a ribbon-cutting celebration for the second location's 50th anniversary just days before.
He said the company had been part of the chamber for as long as he could remember, and given the original owner's tenure as Jefferson City's mayor at one point, had likely been a member for its entire run.
Whaley's began as a simple corner drugstore in 1943, an origin it shares with Walgreens, which debuted as a corner store in Chicago around three decades earlier. The original building on the corner of East High and Lafayette had housed a pharmacy since 1896.
The original location marked its eight decades of business with a celebration in the spring, drawing generations of patients for candy and a ribbon-cutting event.
Red Whaley, the pharmacy's founder and original owner, sought to provide immaculate service to the community, offering free delivery to nearby customers who were home-bound, according to the company. The soda fountain, flowing with flavored sodas and milkshakes, became popular among patients and customers and remains an iconic draw to the little store.
Whaley and his son, Jim, opened the Southwest location, then deemed the Medical Center Pharmacy, in 1973. The expansion allowed the business to offer expanded services and products, including colostomy and ostomy supplies and other medical equipment. That location celebrated its 50th anniversary earlier this month.
Whaley's was purchased in 1998 by Darryl Hubble, a longtime partner whose involvement dated back to the 1970s. The business began offering its services to long-term care facilities two years later, including bubble-wrapped medication and consultation for patients living in those facilities.
The business expanded again in 2005 with its west-end location, which added maternal, newborn and postpartum services. Welling, Hubble's daughter, joined the company the same year.
While the business proved to be a mainstay amid the rise of franchise pharmacies and the closure of many similar small-town shops, the statement issued by the company said that time had drawn to a close.
"The independent pharmacy industry has become more challenging over the last several years," it read. "The increase in cost of goods along with the decrease in reimbursement from insurance companies has made it difficult for us to survive and continue to provide the same level of patient services and care that our customers deserve."
And while the local mainstay will soon shutter its doors, Plummer said there was always the opportunity for its legacy to continue on as a new business, especially the iconic first spot on High Street.
"It's certainly a landmark, and it's in a part of town that's getting some attention. that's the flip side; now there's property there for something new," he said. "Someone may come in yet and keep the history and charm of that soda fountain going."
Julie Smith/News Tribune photo: Customers wait in the drive-thru at Whaley's Pharmacy on Southwest Boulevard Friday. The local owner announced earlier this week that the stores had been sold to Walgreens and that Wednesday, July 26, would be the last day of operation.