Published: August 10, 2006 12:05 pm         

Star Pharmacy to reopen next week

TUTTLE — There’s a new star in downtown Tuttle.

New owners, a new menu and a new look is giving one of Tuttle’s oldest businesses a facelift that will make it look, well, even older than before.

For months, the sign in the window of the Star Pharmacy has promised a summer opening. That day will come next week, on Thursday, Aug. 17, when the store will open its door to the public for the first time in months.

New owners Chad and Shelly Miller didn’t pick Aug. 17 as a coincidence. After hearing from local residents how much Tuttle’s schoolchildren enjoyed visiting the pharmacy after school, they knew the first day of classes was the right day to pick.

And when those children walk through the old familiar door that afternoon, they will see a whole new Star Pharmacy. The old wooden soda fountain, brought over by ferry before statehood, still sits in its familiar place. And the shelves lining the walls, freshly painted, are still there too. But the counter will be flanked with barstools, and new booths and tables will offer other seating choices.

The paint isn’t quite complete, but by Thursday, the Millers plan to have walls in country blue and red, for a homey atmosphere. The ceiling has been taken out completely; the Millers have restored the original metal ceiling that has been hidden behind a second, lower ceiling for years. Chad Miller said it would almost be like stepping back in time - at least if you don’t notice the big screen T.V. in the corner.

The menu will have a few changes as well. Local folks will still be able to pick up a cherry ice or a salty frog at the pharmacy, but the Millers have expanded the menu Tuttle residents know so well. In addition to fountain favorites, the Star Pharmacy will now offer snow cones, soups, sandwiches, hot dogs, and other items. Both Chad and Shelly Miller will be behind the counter at times, joined by regular pharmacy staff Janie Hodges and Theresa Lingle and new hire Angela Medley.

Not least, the pharmacy will still be a local downtown drugstore for Tuttle residents. Miller is a registered pharmacist, and received his degree from the University of Nebraska. After graduation, he worked for Eckerd, then CVS Pharmacy. He found his true calling, however, when he visited a small town drugstore in Leavenworth, Kansas. The place was nothing like the big store pharmacies; instead, it was a classic drugstore where every customer was a friend.

“This is my drea. This is what I’ve always dreamed of doing,” Miller said. “I knew as soon as I saw that pharmacy at Leavenworth, I wanted to do this.” He credits former Star Pharmacy owners Jim and Ann Arganbright with helping him make that dream come true, by giving him their business at a price below its value.

“They wanted to do something for this town, or I never would have been able to afford it,” he said.

Miller also said that the Star Pharmacy will always welcome the Arganbrights. He said that Jim Arganbright will be coming in several days a week, as long as he wants to.

“As far as I’m concerned, he’s in charge until he isn’t able to come down any more,” said Miller.

Ann Arganbright has also expressed interest in coming back to the store, Miller said, as her health allows.

Miller said that the pharmacy still has files for past customers, so residents won’t have to fill out address forms or other paperwork when coming in to fill prescriptions. The Star Pharmacy will continue to honor most major insurance customers, and will strive to meet the prescription needs of local residents. The pharmacy will even make free deliveries to residents within city limits. Those outside of city limits will have to pay a small fee for delivery, Miller said.

The store has also been stocked with gifts and baby items, and the Millers plan to offer cosmetics, jewelry and skin care products.

The Millers currently live in Deer Creek, but they have put their house on the market and are looking at homes in the Tuttle area. They hope to move as soon as possible.

The pharmacy will be open from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. on Saturdays, following the hours held by the Arganbrights for so many years.

The Millers will celebrate the Star Pharmacy’s grand re-opening on Saturday, Aug. 19, with a ribbon cutting at 10 a.m. They have extended an invitation to the entire Tuttle community and surrounding areas to join them for the ribbon cutting, followed by free hot dogs and drinks until 2 p.m.