The drug store specialized in cheap, affordable products at a time when consumers didn’t have very much to spend.īy the mid 1970s, Thrifty Drug Stores was the biggest chain on the west coast and its ice cream had achieved cult status among Angelenos. Of course, the company made their own line of drug store specific products as well – think, Walgreens-brand toilet paper – such as the flexible fabric band aids below. Thrifty Drug Stores grew rapidly over the following decades, and in 1940 the company began producing their own ice cream at a small factory in Hollywood where they made rocky road, concord grape-pineapple and fruit cake flavors. They’re not going to come in for a toy or something like that, but ice cream was remarkably successful and very attractive to kids, middle-age people, old people, everybody…When Rite Aid purchased Thrifty, they kept this ice cream. The idea is to get people to come into the store. The price was quite low so we didn’t make a lot of money off it, but it got people in the store to buy other things. It was very high quality and they were very proud to get awards at the L.A. They had a plant in West Hollywood and eventually moved the operation to El Monte. They did their own manufacturing and made a lot of different flavors. Raymond Borun, the son of Harry Borun and nephew of Robert, founders of the company, recalls the brother’s foray into ice cream: To get clients into the store though, the brothers needed a gimmick, and landed on ice cream. In fact, the company was originally called “Thrifty Cut-Rate Drug Stores,” which is just charming. And since they had already developed business connections that allowed them to get their products on the cheap, they could keep prices low and under-cut their competitors. Rather than fold themselves, the brothers decided to go into retail, selling directly to the consumer. And while Thrifty Drug Stores hadn’t yet dotted Los Angeles,Thrifty would soon occupy the lower floor of the building indicated above. This photograph is of Broadway, north of Sixth Street, in downtown Los Angeles, circa 1906. The pair did fairly well until the Great Depression hit, and local drug stores – their clientele – started going under. Harry Borun and his brother Robert were originally in the business of wholesaling their drugs to retailers, and started their first business, Borun Brothers, in 1919. In those days, almost all drug stores had ice cream counters – a place where you could order a sundae, soda float or have lunch while shopping, and a method for getting customers in the door.īut Thrifty actually goes back even further than 1929. Thrifty ice cream can be traced all the way back to the depression and the founding of Thrifty Drug Stores in downtown Los Angeles in 1929. Thrifty Ice Cream was certified Kosher in 1994, and continues to be produced in El Monte, California. The ice cream has won numerous gold medals at the Los Angeles County Fair (24 gold medals, as of the last count) and has followed the same recipe on many flavors for over 50 years, using real pieces of fruit and freshly baked cookies. The ice cream comes in approximately 30 flavors, including standard offerings like Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough and Cookies ‘n Cream, but also more adventurous blends like Chocolate Malted Krunch, Medieval Madness and Circus Animal Cookie. The ice cream tastes of nostalgia for many Angelenos, and is known for its superior taste and historically affordable price point. The ice cream is sold in cartons in Rite Aid pharmacies across the country and is known for its cylindrical scoops, served fresh at ice cream counters in select locations (mostly around LA). The ice cream developed a cult following in the 1930s and 40s, and continues to be sold under the Thrifty brand name, now owned by Rite Aid. Thrifty is a brand of ice cream first sold at Thrifty Drug Stores in downtown Los Angeles during the Great Depression. How does the Thrifty Ice Cream Scoop work?.Is the Thrifty Ice Cream Scoop any good?.
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