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Coronado Pharmacy Closed at 918 Orange Avenue - Walgreens Rumors Grow Louder

We snapped this photo of Coronado Pharmacy at 918 Orange Avenue last weekend. We tried calling the store, but the voicemail box was full and we were unable to get any additional information.

About a month ago, we snapped the below picture when we noticed the CBRE 'for lease' sign on top of the building:

We have received tips of a Walgreens going in at the old Petco store location at 925 Orange Ave (photo below) directly across the street from Coronado Pharmacy. CBRE also has the Petco store location, but we have not received any confirmation on who the next tenant will be. It would seem to make sense that if Walgreens did go in at 925 Orange Avenue, it would be hard for the Coronado Pharmacy to compete with such a large organization - plus, Rite-Aid is just a block away as well. Rumors of Walgreens first surfaced in August 2009, but there has been no official confirmation regarding a new tenant.

Here are the remaining pharmacies in Coronado:

Central Drug Store, 1106 Orange, 619-435-4171
Rite Aid Pharmacy, 836 Orange 619-435-6200
Sharp Coronado Community Pharmacy, 230 Prospect Place, #110 619-437-4441

Tags: business

2 members like this

Comment by Mary Anderson on April 19, 2011 at 8:11am: I will miss Coronado Pharmacy. Phil was so accommodating. I wish him well.

Comment by Marilyn Raftery Grinstead on April 19, 2011 at 8:46am: I remember during WW2, while my father was overseas and older brother going to USC, my mother, younger brother and I would eat at the fountain of the drugstore than walk up to the old theatre and see the Wednesday night double feature. Mr Latham was the owner and a very nice gentleman. Glad the Central is still there, my younger brother used to deliver prescriptions for that drugstore. If my memory serves me I recall Mr. Corrine had a drugstore down by the ferry as well.

Comment by Lucy on April 19, 2011 at 11:06am: "at the old Petco store location at 925 Orange Ave"?

I guess I am officially old.

That location at 925 Orange Ave will always be the old Bank of America building to me!

Comment by Maureen (Rutherford) Nieland on April 19, 2011 at 11:19am: WOW!!! What a shame. It will be very much missed. My mom use to get her perms all the time upstairs.back in the 50's & 60's. I got my first bubble gum there, in the early 50's... I have friends whose parents worked there, so long ago. I was certainly a main stable in my life!!! Change is good?? So I'm told...We ate at the fountain there many times... I know Helen will never forget her mom working there and niether will the rest of us, Coronado Kids!!!

Comment by Lynnda Shepherd on April 19, 2011 at 12:05pm: We tried to go there yesterday to pick up a prescription and the back door was locked.. Couldn't figure it out until we looked in and saw .... nothing.. :-/

Comment by Aleene Sexton Queen on April 19, 2011 at 12:20pm: Oh, gosh, my mom, Billie, worked there for years. She was bookkeeper for Latham's 3 stores, the Pharmacy, liquor store and variety store. Then I worked behind the fountain with Helen's mom, Mallie, in '53 and '54. And my hubby and I spent our honeymoon upstairs in my friend's apartment!! Wow, there's goes lots of memories!

Comment by MIKE GAPP on April 19, 2011 at 1:32pm: So sad.

I guess Coronado is just going to be another Big Box Town.

Mike Gapp

Comment by Vicky Lambert on April 19, 2011 at 7:33pm: I noticed the limited inventory a few weeks ago, but did not think anything of it. They always had the hard to find things, fun gifts and Crane stationery. Would love to hear from Phil here... just to make sure he's okay. It's a loss for our community....

Comment by Helen Maracle on April 20, 2011 at 10:12am: I just walked by there last night and was heart broken, I've been going there for 40 years and my older sister worked at the fountain when she was in high school. If a Walgreens goes in I'll be so disappointed!

Best wishes to Phil and the staff!

Comment by Helen Nichols Murphy (Battleson) on April 20, 2011 at 9:52pm: I was extremely sad & surprised when my daughter MaryHelen (Murphy) Arndt
and I walked by last Saturday! Not only did I go to work at the fountain on my
14th birthday after school for my mom,
Mallie Nichols. My parents came to
Coronado in 1937 during the depression, as they were married in Texas and came
to California looking for work! My mom saw an ad in the newspaper for a drug
store clerk and she and my Dad came over from San Diego to apply! It turned out
that Lyman & Maxine Latham were also
fellow Texans (from Plainview I think!)
Anyway, they hired both my parents! My Dad later opened & managed the Avenue
Liquor next door, where I think Chances is now! Later he also managed the Avenue
Liquor when it moved to 9th and Orange.
The Latham's owned both the Orange Avenue
Pharmacy (in the 1100 block of Orange) and the Orange Avenue Pharmacy. My Mom
cooked for and managed both fountains in those days, She was considered one of
the very best cooks in Coronado and to this day, people come up to me and tell
me how much they loved her and her famous hamburgers! It is the end of another
era in Coronado! Many Coronado kids got their very first job from my Mom!