Harvest Foods, Kohal Pharmacy team up
Harvest Foods in Wallace is slated to be the home of Kohal Pharmacy's third location in the Silver Valley following a remodel of their front-end.
Photo by CHANSE WATSON
Following the remodel, Kohal Pharmacy will take the place of the current liquor store inside Harvest Foods. The liquor store will then be reduced in size slightly and shift to the neighboring convenience counter. To make room, the convenience counter will in-turn be moved to a newly constructed space just opposite the front entrance.
WALLACE — Residents of Wallace are set to have their first pharmacy in more than 20 years thanks to an agreement between the Wallace Harvest Foods grocery store and Kohal Pharmacy.
Harvest Foods owner Jeff McLeod explains that he and Kohal Pharmacy owner/pharmacist Tony Wright started talking about a partnership in mid-to-late 2020.
McLeod, who took over ownership of the store four years ago, wanted to revamp the look of the establishment and has already made progress on that front with a redone parking lot and new entree sign. Teaming up with Kohal Pharmacy now fits right in with his overall plans to rework the front-end of the store.
Moving into the space that the liquor store currently resides, Wright said that they will be installing a full-service Pharmacy there, complete with a drive-through window. The pharmacy is also planned to have a consultation center where customers can video chat with a pharmacist if needed.
Before the space held the store's liquor, it was home to a bank that closed up and left.
Needing a new home, McLeod explained that the store's spirit selection will slightly downsize and move to the neighboring service center. Services normally found at this desk will in-turn be shifted to a newly constructed office just opposite the front entrance. There, customers will be able to purchase licenses, lottery tickets, tobacco, and other products — as it will serve as the business' main checkstand.
"It will be much more accessible," McLeod said. "I'm hoping that it dresses up the entire front-end."
The Harvest Foods renovations are slated to be completed within two months and Wright is shooting to have Kohal Pharmacy's third location running there before the end of the year.
McLeod is pleased with the partnership and is happy to see the store being spruced up for their customers.
"Adding the pharmacy is just going to be such a huge win for the community," he said. "We wanted to do it right and show that we are investing in the community."
According to Ron Lavigne, former co-owner of Tabors Modern Drug, he and his father Dale operated and closed the last pharmacy in Wallace in 2000. The city has not had such a business since then.
Wright is looking forward to getting things going on the east end of the Silver Valley and provide a service that hasn't been present in a long time.
"We've always wanted to help the community out as much as we can and I saw that there was an opportunity up there for the patients of the Wallace, Mullan, Silverton area that may be currently underserved," he said. "We're excited to get going and help more people if we can."
In addition to this Wallace location joining their Kellogg and Pinehurst ones, Kohal Pharmacy recently absorbed all of the patients of the now closed Sunnyside Drug in Kellogg. Wright said that if you got your medications through Sunnyside, simply call the Kohal Kellogg location to continue getting them.
The Kellogg Kohal location can be reached by phone at 208-786-9303 and is located at 740 McKinley Ave. Bldg. B. The Pinehurst location can be reached at 208-682-4015 and is located at 504 N. Division St.
Wallace Harvest Foods is located at 800 Bank St. and can be reached at 208-752-1233.
