With a brand new, larger building, extended business hours and the addition of a drive thru service, a trip to Destrehan Discount Pharmacy yields more convenience than ever for its customers.
The pharmacy opened its new building March 6 at 12627 Airline Hwy., just a short way down the street from its former location.
“Things are really looking good right now,” Destrehan Discount Pharmacy owner B.J. Burkenstock said. “Business has been picking up. People can see us more now as they’re driving by and they’re giving us an opportunity to take care of them. We want to continue to grow that way.”
Pharmacy manager Steven Faucheaux said the drive thru has been popular among customers.
“The drive thru has been a luxury that many of the major chains have been able to offer for many years now,” Faucheaux said. “Now that we have implemented a drive thru, we are able to offer that same service and accommodate patients who may not have the ability or the time to come inside to pick up. Everyone seems to love the new set up and the convenience that the new drive thru now offers.”
With over 1,000 extra square feet of space at the new store, there are a wider selection of items available. And the pharmacy is now open for longer hours on weekdays, (Mon.-Fri., 9 a.m.-7 p.m., Sat. 9 a.m.-3 p.m.), a change Burkenstock said has garnered positive reaction from the community.
“We have more over the counter products than we’ve ever had,” Burkenstock said. “To second that, we carry hard to find stuff you may not be able to find in other places. We like to do those things for our community so we can truly be a one stop shop.”
Faucheaux said the store’s selection of items has been tailored over the years to fit the needs of the store’s customers.
“If you can’t find something, we maybe just never had a need for it before, and now it might be aisle 7 from now on,” Faucheaux said.
Faucheaux added that not only has business grown among local customers over the past few weeks, but that the pharmacy is also drawing an increased amount of customers from outside the parish.
“We’ve seen people who live in Norco, LaPlace, even from Luling or Hahnville who will travel to Metairie or Kenner to find good cash prices on drugs,” Faucheaux said. “A lot of those people maybe never really knew we were here, because we were kind of tucked away at the old location.
“Now, they realize who we are and where we are and they gave us an opportunity, and they no longer need to drive out to Metairie. They realize we’ve been in their back pocket the whole time.”
Though the location is new, Burkenstock pointed out the pharmacy’s prices remain the biggest drawing card.
“We deeply discount prices of our over the counter items as well as prescription drugs,” he said. “Our prices are second to none, and we’re happy to compare prices with patients if need be.”
Plans for a grand opening ceremony are in the works for May, both to commemorate the opening of the store’s new location and to celebrate 50 years in the community, Burkenstock said. There will also be a month-long sale on select items and products on sale to commemorate the anniversary and the new location. There will be a ribbon cutting on May 10 at 10:30 a.m. and an official grand opening on May 13th from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. with drinks, food and giveaways.
The business has been a part of St. Charles Parish for the past 50 years, established in 1966. Burkenstock’s grandfather ran the pharmacy, then passed it down to his son — Burkenstock’s father, who passed it down to Burkenstock himself in 2012. The third-generation pharmacist has run the business since, and said he is proud to keep the tradition alive.
“We see ourselves as a staple in the community,” Burkenstock said. “I take pride in the fact my family started this business from the ground up and that we’ve continued to do what we need to do to serve patients of our community. It speaks volumes. We want to continue that tradition for another 50 years and beyond.
“It’s a tough game, competing with the big guys, but our pricing is second to none and our customer service I’d put up against anyone.”
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