by Charly Mann

Even though the times are always changing, Sutton’s Drug Store is the one place in Chapel Hill that has retained the quintessential element of community, diversity, and comradery that makes our town so unique and wonderful. Little has changed about the business since James Sutton and his partner James Alderman founded the store in 1923. It has always been the only downtown drug store where one could sit down and enjoy a handmade soft drink, shake, or burger. Sutton’s has always been locally owned and operated by a pharmist who focused on providing personalized service. It is not unusual today for the current owner, John Woodward, to drop off perscriptions to his customers after he closes the store.

Sutton's was known as Sutton and Alderman Drug Store for the first ten years of its existence. This ad is from 1926, right after they installed a full-sized soda fountain.

The original owner J. L. Sutton (1891 to1950) was a workaholic like another legendary town duggist, John Carswell, owner of Colonial Drug Store. The store was always open seven days a week, and he was usually there by 6:30 in the morning and did not leave until the store had closed, which was often after 7 PM. Sutton was a stern man who was not particularly warm to his customers, but his wife, Lucy, who there as much as he was always seemed to wear a smile, and was beloved by all of their customers. The couple never had any children. John worked his employess as hard as himself, and in 1936 was found guilty of requiring his female employees to work ten hours a day seven days a week. At that time the North Carolina labor law stated that no female could work more than 55 hours a week, and no one could work more 10 hours in a day without a thirty minute break after 6 hours. John never gave anyone the required break , and he also did not post North Carolina's employee labor rights, which was required by law.

Sutton's became the town's hangout in the 1940's during the Swing and Big Band Era when it actually resembled a classic American Malt Shop more than a drugstore. Even though their booths had yet to be installed, there were 24 to 28 orange swivel stools and a brighly lit juke box that continually played the current hit songs. In those days their malted shakes were especially popular. Early in the 1950's Sutton's added eight green booths and almost immediately attracted a loyal breakfast and lunch crowd. From the grill behind the counter they have had a number of fabulous short order cooks making the best scambled eggs in the South on a cast-iron skillet. The breakfast crowd is largely made up of older town residents, while the lunch crowd is primarily younger, and made up of UNC students who enjoy their freshly made burgers, fries and shakes. Many of the University of North Carolina's best known sports stars have been lunch regulars including James Worthy, Phil Ford, Bob McAdoo, Michael Jordan, Mia Hamm, George Karl, Tyler Hansbrough, Ty Lawson, Phil Ford, Larry Brown, Billy Cunningham, Sam Perkins, Jerry Stackhouse, Rasheed Wallace, Lawrence Taylor, and Natrone Means. Sutton's has always provided full service to it's black patrons.

There is no food so wonderful as a well made malted milk-shake. Sutton's made the best in Chapel Hill from the late 1940's through the1950's. This ad is from 1948.

My favorite treat at Sutton's when I was young was their chocolate Coke which was made by combining Coca-Cola syrup, carbonated water, and a squirt of chocolate syrup. Flavored sodas were especially popular at Sutton's from the 1930's through the early 1960's. The people who made these drinks were called soda jerks at other drugstores, but never at Suttons. Cherry Coke was their most popular flavor in the late fifties, followed by vanilla. They cost 10 cents for a medium sized glass, which was not cheap. A similar sized root beer at other places in town was only a nickel.

Throughout its long history, the pharmacist-owner of Suttons has known most of his patrons and their ailments, and was always there to answer their questions and give advice. Today, curent owner and pharmist John Woodward, a Carolina grad, fills perscriptions and chats with customers and employees throughout the day like his predecessors.

Before the Sutton building was built in Chapel Hill in 1923, these two stores stood on the same site. Foister's Camera Store was on the right.

It seems like only yesterday when I would be walking down Franklin Street with a couple of friends after school and one would say, "Are we stopping at Suttons?" Inside, we would usually find more of our junior high school friends drinking fresh squeezed lemonades and orangeades crowded into a booth while waiting for their egg salad and grilled cheese sandwiches to arrive. I would usually stop by the magazine and book stand at the front to pick up a comic book or Mad Magazine to read while I waited to order a drink. The store was always busy with customers buying cigarettes, sunglasses, perfumes, pipe tobacco, thermometers, suntan lotions, newsapapers, and candy bars. There was also a pay phone booth that was always being used.

Sutton's was not always promoting good health. In 1956, they sold White Roll Cigarettes at 14 cents a pack and $1.29 a carton. Major brand cigarettes were then 20 to 25 cents a pack.

In the 1950's and 60's there were four other downtown pharmicies. All but one, Eubanks, had a soda fountain and sold ice cream cones. Village and Colonial drugstores were on West Franklin Street, and Sloan's and Eubank's were downtown. Eubank's, which later became Court's drugstore downtown had a large scale in the front of the store where you could weigh yourself.

Tweet