MCCANDLESS, Pa. — The lunch counter inside Adzema Pharmacy has been here since 1959, for as long as the business has been open. Regulars have been coming in droves for years, and now, they’re supporting the owner in another way: making sure this part of Adzema’s stays open.
From staff members and servers to longtime customers, there’s always a reason to come to Adzema’s.
“It almost puts you in mind to ‘Cheers’ – everybody knows everybody, you know?” said Don Wetzel, who has been coming to Adzema’s for lunch for years.
“We know all the waitresses, we know Jay,” said Karen Wetzel. “We come maybe four times a week.”
Three years ago, Joan Ermel retired from the pharmacy after 37 years behind the counter. On Thursday, she was back to celebrate her birthday.
“[I’m] 84 today – I worked till I was 81,” Ermel said. “I just really enjoyed being here every day.”
“We leave all of our troubles here. We even call it our therapy day,” said Dori Hartman.
Owner Jay Adzema is determined to keep the good times coming after a recent financial setback. Adzema said the Allegheny County Health Department told him he’d need to do some updates in the next 90 days to stay up to code.
“[It will cost] at least $20,000, if not more,” Adzema said. “I knew it was going to be a bunch of money. [I thought] how am I going to do this?”
The lunch counter community is stepping up to the plate, already raising nearly half of what Adzema needs through a tip jar and GoFundMe account.
>>> Click here if you would like to donate.
“I’m ecstatic about it. It’s not what I expected,” Adzema said.
With repairs already underway, it’s not the first time this independent pharmacy has faced hard times. Adzema said dealing with the challenges of the pandemic and insurance reimbursements has been a tall order, but he does it all for his customers.
“He understands his patients, you know, he connects with them on a personal level,” said Ryan Hernandez, Adzema pharmacy intern. “It allows people to feel like they’re home here, you know, they’re able to enjoy, have conversations with their families.”
“I like my people, I like my employees, I like the atmosphere, I like helping people. It’s what I do. I wouldn’t know what else to do,” Adzema said.
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