Hamlin Fountain & Gifts closes after 62 years

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — If you grew up in Corpus Christi odds are this retailer has been a component of your childhood memories. 

Right after much more than 60 a long time, Hamlin Fountain and Items at first opened as a pharmacy with a total diner and reward shop will shut on Could 7. David Loeb, proprietor of the searching center Hamlin has identified as residence for many years, explained the closing is important to lots of.

“People really don’t imagine about it now with present day pharmacies, but that was the 1950’s, 60’s model of a pharmacy,” Loeb said. “I bear in mind heading there as a tiny kid. It is hard to uncover anyone who grew up right here, primarily in this component of town who does not have a memory of heading there.”

As times improved, so did the business. Originally named Hamlin Pharmacy, it was a single of the last impartial pharmacies just after Eckerd Corporation acquired most of the competitiveness. Eckerd was afterwards purchased by CVS Pharmacy.

Proprietor and pharmacist Karl Arnold eliminated the pharmacy aspect of the business enterprise and left the rest. It nevertheless remained a most loved for locals like Dinah Bowman.

“Ever considering that I probably moved to Corpus I’ve been coming to this attractive centre to appreciate their legendary hamburgers and for reward buying,” Bowman reported. “And we desired to come and celebrate with their closing.”

Arnold died in March of 2021, passing the enterprise down to his daughter Karen. Bowman stated she has enjoyed coming to lunch there with her daughter for years.

“This area is just a treasure,” Bowman claimed. “And I wish the persons all the best in their coming new lifetime and I hope another identical shop is ready to arrive in.”

The concern of why shut the business enterprise now, is about timing. Loeb claimed the recent proprietors are completely ready to move on and that the final handful of many years had been specifically complicated for eating places like Hamlin.

“It’s incredibly exceptional to have a multi-generational small business that lasts as extensive as this one did, I mean it’s been heading 60, 65 decades at this stage.” Loeb stated. “She experienced been imagining about retiring and what to do with the small business even prior to COVID and I imagine she just at last manufactured the selection that it was time to retire and appreciate her existence and delight in her grandkids.”

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