Receta Main ST. Drug & Boutique is Community Proud.
Main ST. Drug & Boutique140 S Main Street
Monticello, UT, 84535Phone: 435-587-2302Fax: 435-587-3441Hours of Operation: Mon-Thurs.: 9:30a.m.-6p.m., Fri: 9:30a.m.-2p.m, Sat-Sun: ClosedWebsite: https://www.mymainstreetdrug.com/
“I am Grateful, Happy and
Blessed, but most of all, I am Thankful, truly Thankful for all the support
shown and given by the community.” ~~ Tim Young, Owner and Doctor of Pharmacy
Now while the quote would
typically be the ending of this article, this beginning will best be understood
by beginning at, what else, the beginning.
While the Great Depression
wrecked financial havoc, there was one place to go, in Monticello, to help ease
the stress for a short while. This was
The Oasis, a confectionery store owned by George “Uncle Mutt” Palmer and,
brother-in-law, Claude “Hop” Foy. It
offered up scoops of creamy ice creams, cold soft drinks, sundaes with a
multitude of toppings, and a variety of treats to satisfy the sweet tooth. The back room of The Oasis became a gathering
place for the local men to play cards.
George Palmer leased the building to J. Ward Palmer, and off to Provo he
went to find a new fortune. 1936, Ward
built The Little Theater, in the back half of The Oasis; it could seat 120
people. What a way to spend a Friday or
Saturday afternoon or evening; a movie, a cold drink and ice cream!
However, 1938, George returned
to Monticello and wanted his business back; not much Ward could do to stop
him. 1939, a building boon began in
Monticello, and only one block south three new shops opened up, Palmer’s
Confectionery, The Little Theater, and the Bailey and Wood Market. The Oasis closed its doors, and that is where
The Merc resides today. Of course, the construction
of the Monticello Millsite caused the building boon to go Boom! More shops, and affordable housing, for the
workers, who moved to Monticello, were built.
1940 March 2021
This has what to do with
the pharmacy? Now get yourself a cold
drink, maybe some ice cream, and keep reading.
Main ST. Drug & Boutique is where Palmer’s Confectionery once conducted
business. The façade of the building has
changed little, except the inclusion of a second floor. To become the business it is today though,
tragedy had to befall two residents of Blanding.
Jumping to 1960, the Pay
Day Drug Store was purchased by Thomas Wesley Brockmeier, and his wife Emma
Mae, originally from Springville, UT. By
1965, the name had been changed to Leader Drug Store. November 24, 1965, Thomas, with his son
Tommy, was flying a Cessna 210, when it crashed near Payson, AZ; killing
both. In the spring of 1966, the business was sold
to a pharmacist in Salt Lake City, Kirk Nielson. Kirk, and wife Maxine, loaded up their seven
children to make their home in Blanding, and become the community’s new
pharmacist. In the same year, Kirk purchased the old Palmer’s Confectionery
building; he named both businesses San Juan Pharmacy. Eventually Kirk inspired three of his sons to
also become pharmacists. After the death
of the family patriarch, the businesses were run by the sons. Lee Nielson and his wife were there for 15
years, before selling it to Ken Nielson; who eventually sold the Monticello
store to Tim Young, in 2007.
…and now for Tim Young’s
story. Born (1976), and raised, in
Monticello, Tim did his undergraduate studies at State University of Utah,
Cedar City. Now Tim had dabbled in
various types of work, but what did he truly want to do as a life goal? He had to make a checklist, and see what
industry fit into his plans. First, it
had to be a skill that could be useful anywhere; being useful was a very
important factor. Since Tim wanted to return
to Monticello, it also had to be a skill that would fit into, not just a small
town scenario, but the region as a whole.
Attending Idaho State University, he found his interest to be geared
towards Organic Chemistry, but what field would that lead him to? Research?
Doctor of some specialty? After
speaking with fellow students, and professionals in medical fields, the
business side of a pharmacy peaked his interest. It was a business, it was useful, and he knew
it would be something to build a productive life on. To become a pharmacist, a
Doctor of Pharmacy degree, also known as a Pharm. D. degree was required, and
that is exactly what Tim focused upon.
In between obtaining his
degree, and the building, Tim married Sydney.
Married 23 years, this May of 2021 (and Tim was very careful to remember
the exact number of years), children were born and raised, a house made into a
home, and establishing himself within the community. Being born and raised, himself, was not
enough, he wanted a stronger foothold based upon giving to the community, and
developing a good reputation as a businessman.
For two years, Tim served as a City councilman, but he knew Monticello
needed more guidance into the future.
Running for mayor was the next step, and he easily won the peoples’
vote. He is serving his seventh year,
but once his eighth year is up (2022), so will be his mayoral tenure.
Tim’s time is currently
spent 80% with family and business, and 20% devoted to the government
sector. “The City staff has done a great
job taking care of things, and I think I have been fair at looking at both
sides, and finding the best solutions.
Sometimes someone will not come in due to a decision the City Council
has made, but I cannot control that.”
So, after ten years in City government, Tim will be 100% all about
family and business.
Before getting into future
plans, let me tell you all about Main ST. Drug & Boutique. Originally San Juan Pharmacy, it was felt
that a name change was necessary, due to the same named pharmacy down in
Blanding. No, it was not a competition
issue, as the two stores would often run sales together, and definitely promote
each other. It was due to suppliers,
pharmaceutical and sundry, that kept confusing the two shops. Orders were often sent to the wrong address,
and with medications needed in a timely manner, that simply could not
continue. 2009 became the year of
change, not just for the name, but for what the shop would sell.
Of course the main focus
was the pharmacy, OTC healthcare and self-care.
There is a daily delivery of medical supplies, so ordering a specific
item is no problem. Tim listens to his
customers, and works diligently to make sure their wants and needs are
satisfied. I can attest to the fact that
he is knowledgeable about what he sells; and will do whatever he can to get the
best pricing on prescriptions. This is
no huge chain store that tells you an item is in stock, makes you travel to
their location, only to tell you, “Sorry, not in stock yet”. You will receive a call from Tim, if there
are any issues, and a specific time of delivery to the store. Heck, I have even had Tim visit my home,
after closing, delivering a late received item, to make sure I would not do
without. Would a chain store do that!?!
How has Covid-19 affected
business? “It was hard not allowing
people to come into the store at first.
We tried to make things go smoothly by offering home deliveries, back
door pickups, and mailings. In fact,
we’re still doing it even though we’re allowed to open, and keep open, our
doors, to customers. People need their
medications, and we have to make sure they get them when they need them.”~~Tim
Young
There is one more benefit
to the pharmacy, and that is compounding.
Drug compounding is often regarded as the process of combining, mixing,
or altering ingredients to create a medication tailored to the needs of an
individual patient. Compounding includes the combining of two or more drugs, as
prescribed by a doctor. Besides another
pharmacy in Durango, CO; Tim’s shop is the only other that will do compounding,
in the 4 Corners area. Otherwise, the
nearest pharmacy is in Spanish Fork, so unless you enjoy the journey there,
Main ST. is for this special need.
Best selling items for
personal wellness are probiotics, vitamins/supplements, and allergy
medications. There are many other standard
brand products, but special requests and doctor ordered are, once again, no
problem. Personal care also includes
hair salon products, foot care, braces, bedding, baby care and first aid.
There is more to personal
wellbeing than medications though; with offerings of toys, silly pillows, cards
for any occasion, home décor, jewelry, and clothing.
Originally, under the San Juan Pharmacy name,
the majority of items sold was home décor, but that has drastically
changed. This is where I now introduce
Sydney, Tim’s wife, the greater woman behind the great man, and the person in
charge of ordering. It would be so easy
to buy in bulk, offering a few nondescript sundries that so many people could
buy; but how boring would that be? The
store is meant to be useful to the community, and that also encompasses being
unique, and offering unique goods.
Sydney goes to many showcases, researching what is being pushed; making
sure not to follow a current fad or trend that will be out of style too soon.
She also has an eye for
style, so is it any wonder she has a clothing line, with friend, and coworker,
Monique? The name of the line is Moxsi
Apparel which sells at the store, as well as online (https://moxsiapparel.com/). While Sydney and Monique are not designers
themselves, they search out artisans and designers, picking out the best goods,
and rebranding under the Moxsi label.
The clothing is geared for the woman, of any age, to look fabulous in
any situation; and feel good while looking good.
Now is the time to write
about my very favorite part of Main ST. Drug & Boutique; the snacks,
treats, and sweets. Brandy is the front
end manager and basically runs what is not pharmacy based. She sets up the displays to catch the eye,
and helps bringing in sale items that are unique as well. With her vast
experience in the food industry, she does this unique purchasing very well.
Two new items are The
Crispery and Candy Club. What is The
Crispery? It was founded by a stay at
home mom, Judy Soldinger, in 1995.
Brandy knew of her, as she lived in a nearby town, in Virginia, and
wanted to promote the business.
Personally, I am hooked on these, and mint chocolate and coconut are my
faves. Let the website explain what
they are, “The gooey sweetness of the marshmallow and the delectable crunch of
the crispies come together in a treat that is handmade to perfection. One bite
and you’ll enter the Crispery Zone where treats are always soft and gooey, never
hard and sticky.” Basically, this is the
ultimate rice crispy treat! The price
charged, for each, is only $4.99 which is much cheaper than ordering directly
from the website, and no shipping charge either. So many flavors, candy additions, and often there
is a specialty treat geared to a holiday.
Candy Club are six ounce
or 13 ounce, reusable glass jars, full of a variety of candies…sweets, sours,
hard, chewy, gummy, chocolate covered, etc.
There are also gift sets available.
All I really know is that I posted a photo on Facebook, and there were
so many comments of, “I love those!”
Also available are Now
Real Food organic nuts, seeds and dried fruits, Poppy Handcrafted Popcorn,
brand name candies, and Abdallah Chocolates and Sweets. Abdallah has been making gourmet chocolates,
using the finest ingredients, for four generations. They also offer a selection of sugar free
chocolates for those who crave chocolate, but have to avoid real sugar. When it comes to most items sold, Tim admits
that his customers have made consumables popular, and desired items.
Now I asked Tim, “What is
your favorite area of the store?” and he answered with, “The Jelly Belly
display, and especially the Jordan Almonds, I can’t stop eating those! I tell Brandy not to order them, but they’re
popular, so she has to.” “Now Tim”, I
said, “just go to a lot of Italian weddings, and they’re a must to have.” He admitted that is exactly why they are such
a huge seller, for weddings.
Of course, the jelly beans
are what make the Jelly Belly brand so popular in itself. I personally enjoy mixing up lemon, lime,
orange, pineapple and cherry flavors; it’s like a fruit salad! Of course my husband has to burst my
delusional bubble by informing me that they are not a real serving of fruit. Hey, I can dream!
Speaking of weddings, Main
ST. does have a gift registry, and for any other occasion, order up gift bags
or baskets. Brandy, herself, will pick
specific items to please, pamper and satisfy for birthdays, holidays, engagements,
weddings, anniversaries, or any other special day.
For the future, the idea
of expansion has come to mind several times.
With San Juan Credit Union moving out of next door, “There is only a
wall between us and the other section.”
However, what would expansion mean?
Main ST. keeps its integrity by, once again, being unique, not following
fleeting fads, listening to customers and bringing in what they want and
need. Main ST. does not want to be just
“every other store”.
Main ST. Drug &
Boutique has a motto, “Trusted Care from People We Know”. All employees are treated as friends and
family; and Tim feels blessed that his employees treat all customers the same
way. Whatever the future may hold, the
overall goal is to create a good experience for every person who comes in. No question will be too ridiculous to answer.
So, here is the end, and a
good place to repeat the end, that was the beginning…
“I am Grateful, Happy and
Blessed, but most of all, I am Thankful, truly Thankful for all the support
shown and given by the community.” ~~ Tim Young, Owner and Doctor of Pharmacy
Mary Cokenour