After nearly 100 years, Central Florida drug store closing its doors
NEW SMYRNA BEACH — The countless iconic and beloved spots in this city have always been part of its identity and small-town charm.
Canal Street has been home to many of these locations, but one of that thoroughfare’s most beloved stores is getting ready to close its doors.
For nearly 100 years, Little Drug Co. has been a pharmacy, lunch counter and all-around place to meet and shop.
That all comes to an end on Tuesday, as the store becomes yet another victim of COVID-19, a shrinking customer base and rising costs.
“It’s sad to see the place close,” said David Sikes, owner and head pharmacist of Little Drug Co. since 1972. “As a lot people have said, ‘it’s an institution, it needs to stay here,’ but unfortunately that’s not going to happen.”
The store was founded in 1922 as Bush-Little Drug Company and located on the north end of Canal Street. Two years later, the name was changed to Little Drug Co., and in 1965, the business moved to the Victoria Theater building at 412 Canal Street, where it has resided ever since.
“When I was a kid, I used to come watch the movies here,” Sikes said of the Victoria. “The movie house is not here any longer, but the stage still is, so it was interesting when I came to work here that I remembered the building from 60 years ago almost.”
Over the years, locals collected memories and called the business home. The soda-fountain space has offered customers a chance to meet with friends and have lunch — burgers, cold sandwiches, hot dogs, and the famous sundaes for dessert.
Rachail Allen is a longtime New Smyrna Beach resident and small-business owner just off Canal Street. She’s also a member of the Canal Street Historic District.
“The Little Drug Company was a staple to me and this community. I’ve been going there for over 40 years,” she said. “This is devastating and heartbreaking to me and this entire community.
“They have been nothing but stellar in every area for New Smyrna Beach, and will forever be in my heart and many others.”
New Smyrna Beach native Jimmy Pearsall recalls visiting Little Drug as a youngster, back when the drug store was located across the street on the corner of Canal and Orange streets, where the General Public House restaurant now sits.
“It was almost 70 years ago, and we’d anxiously await the sundae sale,” Pearsall said. “We would rush there after school and wait to pop a balloon. A paper would fly out with a price less than the usual price. Some were way less, and one lucky kid got a sundae for a penny.”
Pandemic takes its toll on businesses
Sikes, who now co-owns the store alongside his son Justin, said the business has suffered from the COVID19 pandemic, in part because of supply-chain issues and rising costs.
“I think the pandemic has really hurt a lot of independent mom-and-pop stores, whether it be pharmacies, hardware, clothing stores, whatever. It’s really hurt.”
Little Drug’s closing comes at the end of a year that saw other longtime New Smyrna Beach establishments close their doors, including Coronado Hardware, Bob’s Automotive and the Golden Biscuit restaurant.
Two of those have businesses already taken on new ownership. The Golden Biscuit’s floor space will become part of an expanded New Smyrna Outfitters, a Canal Street fishing tackle retailer. Bob’s Automotive, also on Canal, will be transformed into Volusia County’s third Jimmy Hula’s restaurant.
“COVID has reduced foot traffic with a lot of different places,” Sikes said. “With the foot traffic down, so goes a lot of revenue . . . you just can’t live on giving stuff away.
“People have decided to do online shopping, which is as convenient as anything. I don’t disagree with them. And you don’t have to go out and be exposed to COVID and things like that,” he added.
Sikes acknowledges that people are more “computer-savvy nowadays than they were 30, 40 years ago,” which has also contributed to the store’s older customer base shrinking over the years.
“You know, you put a lot of ‘littles’ on top of each other and things are different than they used to be,” Sikes said.
“You have to make a decision some time, and I think now is the time.”
‘It’s kind of a family here’
Sikes said the store has been able to keep going under his watchful eye for almost 50 years because of “customer service, friendly staff, and product availability.”
“We have had a number of things doctors used to say ‘the only place I know you can get it is Little Drug’,” he said. “We won’t point to the product. We’ll go out and get it for you.”
Sikes said that despite the business difficulties over the past few years, he could always count on his employees to keep the store running. But many of those valued workers have left or retired.
“We haven’t had to lay off people. We’ve got an independent pharmacy with 18 employees and that’s something we prided ourselves on,” he said. “It’s kind of a family here.”
Sikes said he is just as disappointed as local residents to see the store closing.
“We’ve made a lot of friends and enjoyed their conversations,” he said. “It’s just going to be hard to deal with not seeing people like that every day.”
Sikes said he plans to find “something to do in the next couple of weeks” to continue working, but acknowledges the bittersweet moment.
“It came the time for us to just call it quits,” Sikes said. “I’ve been here 50 years and enjoyed every bit of it.”