This Breakfast Spot Is Long Gone, But The Pharmacy That Owned It Isn't
Today, you might go to Walgreens to grab your prescriptions, but there once was a time you could also grab a bite to eat in the store after stocking up on your sundries. In the 1970s and 1980s, Walgreens had a restaurant called Wag's located in some of its pharmacy locations.
The concept of a restaurant in a drugstore was hardly new to America, or even Walgreens, at the time. Drugstores with soda fountains, as the in-store eating spots were first called, started trending in the early 1900s. Customers would fill their prescriptions and then order what was called a soda fountain, made by mixing carbonated water with flavored syrup, along with something to eat. Walgreens pharmacy opened its first store in 1901. And in 1922, the pharmacy shook up the soda fountain game by adding vanilla ice cream to their drinks. But today, you might want to avoid grabbing ice cream at Walgreens — it's harder to find and pricier than what you'll get at most grocery stores.
By 1948, the Walgreens lunch counter was offering a full menu with complete dinners that included soup, main dishes — like sirloin steak or pork loin — sides, and a dessert each for around $1. Fast forward to the 1970s, when 24-hour dining was gaining popularity, with chains like Denny's and Shoney's serving up inexpensive meals at all hours. Walgreens began testing Wag's, a restaurant with cheap eats at all hours, inside select pharmacy locations.
Where did Wag's go?
Wag's menu was extensive: burgers, melts, sandwiches, as well as all-day pancakes and other breakfast staples. Wag's even had its own mascot named "Waggles," a cartoon raccoon that adorned the kids' menu. After a few years, the Wag's concept seemed to work so well that Walgreens opened standalone locations separate from the pharmacy.
In 1988, Walgreens decided to focus on its drugstores and part ways with Wag's, selling the chain to the Marriott Corporation. However, Marriott soon began offloading properties, and by 1991, many Wag's locations had closed or been sold to other operators. Within a couple of years, former Wag's were converted into the 24/7 diner Shoney's, which is still popular for rotating theme meals every night of the week. Meanwhile, other Wag's locations have found new life through the international chain IHOP, continuing the tradition of all-day breakfasts and the stacks of pancakes that once made Wag's so beloved.