Saturday, January 21, 2012

Paulsen's Pharmacy, Hollywood District--they've got a soda fountain!

I took these photos on October 15, 2011. I just found these hours on Yelp: Hours: Mon-Fri 9 a.m. - 6:30 p.m. Sat 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

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Found on the Internet at a site about the Hollywood District: Paulsen's Pharmacy has continued to operate out of its original 1918 location at 4246 NE Sandy Blvd. Famous for operating a 1920s style soda fountain, Paulsen's offers old fashioned customer service along with the latest products.

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An online review of Paulsen's Pharamacy: Dec 12, 2008
First-class service! Don't automatically bring your prescriptions to a chain store! Paulsen's has been in the neighborhood for years, and it is small enough that you can pretty much always find Mr. Paulsen himself working in there to answer questions. When my toddler was having a meltdown while we waited, they gave her a free treat. They have helped us out with various problems, including doctors' office communications. Highly recommended!

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And one more online review: 7/28/2010
I've been filling my prescriptions here as long as I've lived in the neighborhood, and there is something wonderful about getting to know the people who own a local business and that they remember your name when you come in. I've been carrying on a month to month conversation with one of the clerks where we swap notes on board games. Bonus points for the ability to get a mint chip shake at the fountain while I wait for my prescription. I love that there are still "Mom & Pop" businesses like this in my neighborhood.

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A piece about Paulsen's Pharmacy at Neighborhood Notes dot com, posted June 17, 2010: Surprisingly, yet another blast from Portland’s past can be found less than two miles down the road at Paulsen’s Pharmacy, which will be celebrating its 92nd anniversary this July. These days, a modern-style Coke dispenser does a lot of the work (customers can add cherry, chocolate or vanilla flavoring to their soft drink of choice), but vintage soda taps are still kept on-hand just in case a traditional flavored soda or sweet cherry phosphate is ordered up. It was these taps that first spawned the moniker “soda jerk,” which described the action of pulling back on the soda tap to add carbonated water to the flavored syrup.

Paulson’s can also fix you up with a shake, malt, float or sundae while you wait for your prescription, and in true vintage form, will pour you a hot cuppa joe for just 85 cents.

I took this photo on August 24, 2011.
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And here’s an interesting article about the drugstore and its pharmacist, in the Catholic Sentinel.

10 comments:

Paul in Powell River said...

Like it says on the side of that Coke dispenser - classic! I thought soda fountains had gone the way of the dinosaur, nice to see at least one survived. Maybe we should clone it!

Melissa said...

This looks like a fun place!

Chattahoochee Valley Daily said...

What a great little pharmacy. We have a similar one here in Columbus. I guess I will have to go check it out. There specialty is 'scramble dogs'.

Tanya Breese said...

don't you just love a soda fountain? there's an old pharmacy here with a soda fountain and i was so disappointed when we went in for lunch and they gave us cans of coke...they are really missing out on the appeal of a soda fountain!

Jack said...

This reminds me of a soda fountain near my college. But, that was a long time ago.

parker said...

Nice coverage of Paulsen's Pharmacy. Neat old barstools. Sure could use a Malt about now made using that green mixer on the counter. Funny, don't remember paying $4.00 for one in the early fifties!

Randy said...

I'll have a Strawberry shake with my Chocolate Sundae!

Juliet in MN said...

Ooooh! Green River! All they need to add are New York Egg Creams!

alex said...

nice! sooo retro.

Jim Klenke said...

neat pictures, I haven't had a malt in ages. Or been in a place that looks like this in ages.