The soda fountain where generations of Hillsboro residents spun on red swivel stools is back open at 243 E. Main St., more than four years after a fire forced the city's oldest business to shut its doors.
Owner Jasmine Nguyen reopened the Hillsboro Pharmacy & Fountain on July 8, one day later than planned after an air-conditioning problem pushed back the soft opening. The first customers through the door were two couples who had been regulars for 30 years.
"There have been a lot of the old customers coming back and everybody says, 'Finally, you're open. We've been waiting and waiting,'" Nguyen told the Hillsboro News-Times.
The pharmacy was founded in 1873, three years before Hillsboro was incorporated. Nguyen purchased the business from longtime owner Douglas Johnson in late 2021. Weeks later, on the morning of Sunday, Jan. 2, 2022, a fire tore through the historic Weil Arcade building on Main Street, killing one person and displacing eight businesses. Investigators determined the blaze was intentionally set by Hillsboro resident Rose Sunrise, who pleaded guilty to manslaughter, arson and other charges and was sentenced to 30 years in prison.
The pharmacy itself largely survived the flames, but smoke and water damage left the storefront uninhabitable. The business relocated temporarily to 155 S.E. Second Ave. Nguyen had hoped to return to Main Street by summer 2024, but she and her husband completed the interior renovation themselves while navigating a family health issue, pushing the timeline back two years.
A new model behind a familiar look
Inside, the black-and-white checkered floor and red counter stools remain. Historic signs and Coca-Cola memorabilia salvaged from the original storefront line the walls, and prescription ledgers dating back nearly a century sit behind Nguyen's desk. The front entrance has been reimagined with booths and tables replacing the cards, gifts and stuffed animals that once filled the space.
The menu blends fountain classics like burgers and milkshakes with Vietnamese dishes from Nguyen's Gresham restaurant, Pho.com, including pho, banh mi sandwiches, fresh spring rolls and vermicelli noodles. The fountain's famous pancakes won't return right away; Nguyen said the business will start with a smaller menu while new employees train and former staff pass down old recipes.
Despite its name, the pharmacy won't operate as a traditional dispensary. Prescriptions are filled at Nguyen's Pharmacy.com location on Southeast 82nd Avenue in Portland and delivered to secure pickup lockers inside the Hillsboro store. Customers can speak with pharmacy staff in person, connect with a pharmacist by video, or receive vaccinations by appointment during winter months. Nguyen cited reimbursement challenges and the influence of pharmacy benefit managers on independent pharmacies as reasons for the hybrid approach.
What's next
The Hillsboro Pharmacy & Fountain is open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. A grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for 4 p.m. Friday, July 31. Nguyen plans to give away stuffed animals and other keepsakes salvaged from the fire at the celebration.
