I really wish there were still drug store lunch counters around. They were the cornerstone of many small towns where people would gather for a quick coffee or lunch, catch up with each other, and discuss the local gossip and the latest news. Friendships were formed there. Secrets were shared. People were real, and so was the laughter.
The lunch counters brought people together. People could talk about their problems with each other in real-time, or just enjoy each other’s company. I believe the lunch counters made people friendlier, since you could always sit down next to someone and start up a conversation. Yes, I know… kids aren’t supposed to talk to “strangers” in today’s world, and that’s a good idea. But at the local lunch counter, we were among neighbors from our community – even if we had never met them before – and we felt a sense of belonging.
Of course, there were no smart phones or text messages back then. People actually met face-to-face and enjoyed each other’s company in person. Not “virtually” via Skype or Facetime or Instant Messenger. Hanging out with friends was so much more enjoyable then!
In the mid to late 1970s, we had a Snyder’s Drug not too far from our house. My best friend and I (both pre-teens) would ride our bikes to Snyder’s to buy the latest candy (for around a quarter or so). I’d buy Wacky Pack stickers to add to my growing collection – remember those? I still have my Wacky Pack stickers. 🙂 After we carefully selected our candy purchase for the day, we’d stop in to the lunch counter for a Cherry Coke and an order of french fries. The Cherry Cokes were made with Coca Cola and real cherry juice – mixed up right behind the counter, and served in those heavy tall soda fountain glasses with a straw and a cherry. No fast-food paper cups there!
Sometimes we sat on the swivel stools at the counter, but our favorite place to sit was the booth near the window. You know… so we could watch the cute boys go by. Do pre-teenage girls still do that?! I bet they would if we still had drug store lunch counters!
The lunch counter at Snyder’s was always busy. And it was always loud in there with everyone talking at once, along with the sounds of plates and dishes being washed and stacked. Some of the people were “regulars” that ate lunch there every day- picture grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup, or a patty melt with a hot cup of coffee, served in the classic ironstone diner coffee cup. We could sit at that lunch counter for hours if we wanted to, talking the day away and watching the people come and go. Even as pre-teens, we felt comfortable and safe at the lunch counter.
I realize the old neighborhood drug store lunch counters have been replaced by today’s coffee shops as the trendy places where teens hang out now. However, today’s coffee shops just aren’t the same as the old fashioned lunch counter. Coffee shops are more impersonal, and people tend to sit alone with their laptops or smart phones, while sipping a double-tall fancy latte with triple-whatever-they-put-in-them. There definitely isn’t the same sense of community at today’s coffee shops, and you certainly can’t order a genuine home-made cherry Coke!
Did you ever hang out at a drug store lunch counter? Share your experience in a comment below – I’d love to hear about it!
NOTE: The photo in this article is from the Star Tribune (not a photo I took). It’s a photo from 1957, so well before my time, but it gives you an idea of Snyder’s lunch counters from the past.
