The Ruthie Award winning milkshakes are coming back, as is the compound pharmacy, post office, and the gift shop with its blend of housewares, clothing and children’s items. Yes, Rick Sain is hoping to reopen the doors of the “new” Reeves-Sain Drug Store “within the next two months. Hopefully by Thanksgiving.”
“Of course,” said Sain, “I’ve been saying that for about ten months, but there have been setbacks because of supply chain issues that can’t be helped. We have totally re-done the building and updated all of the equipment.”
When Rick Sain and Shane Reeves sold the company to Fred’s Pharmacy in 2015, they were told the new company was going to keep everything the same, but when Fred’s went out of business, it was just as devastating to Sain as it was to his former patients and employees. He and Shane Reeves had worked hard to grow the business while surviving the massive changes that have taken place in the pharmacy business over the last 28 years, since the two of them purchased the business from Shane’s father Richard Reeves and his partner, Ron Powell.
“I miss the people and the patient care,” said Sain. “Since I still owned the property, all I could think of was to bring it back.”
For the first two years of the Fred’s ownership, Sain worked for them as part of the deal, but he eventually left as things began to change. In 2018, Fred’s went bankrupt and was eventually sold off to Xpress Pharmacy, which had a different idea of what to do with Reeves-Sain. Then the bankruptcy raged in the courts for more than a year and a half. In the end Sain had gained back the property and the name.
“Of course,” explained Sain, “I had to get Shane’s approval to bring the name back, as he is no longer an owner of the business. There will be no crossover with Shane Reeve’s business, Twelve Stone.”
Sain is excited to be adding newer technology with a great pharmacy computer system to the old building. But they will have the same drive-thru window, and continue to give immunizations such as the flu vaccine and travel vaccines as they have done for many years. Plus, the delivery of medications for those that need it will be a part of the business once again. They will also be utilizing a medication sync program to help patients be able to get their medications filled all at the same time.
“We want to bring the customer service back that hopefully everyone remembers,” added Sain, “and to help patients with their healthcare needs as it pertains to pharmacy.”
Sain will be restarting the business with two great partners, Taylor Black, owner of Black’s Apothecary, and Mark Moore, a pharmacist whose focus will be on compounding.
“These are two great guys that I know the community will love,” explained Sain. “Taylor is already doing well with his pharmacy…and we are truly excited that he has agreed to merge his pharmacy back in with Reeves Sain.”
While they are bringing the pharmacy back much the same as everyone remembers, it will have a new look. The pharmacy, the compound lab, gift shop, post office, and the soda shop are getting a complete remodel inside and out.
“I don’t think we would ever hear the end of it if the milkshakes did not return,” said Sain. “That is the first thing we hear everywhere we go in this town. And everyone has their own story about what they remember [about having one]. How they would come in after getting their braces off, or they would come with a parent or grandparent. And what is really neat is that many of the ones that remember coming in as a kid, now want to bring their kids in!”
The second thing Sain hears about the most from the community is that everyone wants the post office back, a deal he hopes to have completed before the reopen.
One change will be that the soda shop and the gift shop will be sub leased this time around, however Sain believes both sub-leasees will “knock it out of the park.” The soda shop will offer their old faire with a few new options that Sain feels will only add to customer’s options.
Sain said that he and Reeves sold Reeves-Sain because they had built the business up to the point that it was larger than they could handle, and when they sold it, it had been with the idea of turning it over to a company that had the resources to build upon their successes. Every time the business had changed and national chains threw walls in front of them, Sain and Reeves were able to find ways to not only tear the walls down, but to then use the wall rubble as the foundation of increased growth. It was the explosive growth that brought about the sale.
“My wife thinks I am crazy reopening the business,” said Sain. “We sold the business on my 50th birthday.” But besides missing serving the community, Sain is excited that his son, who is a recent pharmacy graduate, will be joining him in the new venture.
With the reopening of Reeves-Sain, Sain and his partners will be bringing back an almost 50-year history that was originally started by Ron Powell and Richard Reeves in 1983.
“We are very blessed in this community,” added Sain. And he is excited to be able to serve the community’s health needs once again, as well as bring back a favorite community meeting place that he hopes will create many more happy memories.
