Gary’s Drug Store has been located on two spots on Main Street in New Iberia. The first location was 131 East Main, opened in 1941 by Sidney Gary. The store operated there until 1951, when it moved next to the Colonial Theatre, at 116 West Main. It was bought by the city and torn down to construct Bouligny Plaza in 1975.

Gary’s Drug Store holds much nostalgia for New Iberians. Being next door to the Colonial, Gary’s was a before- or after-movie stop for yummy soda fountain treats. These ranged from chocolate malts, which were Frances Lopez Simon’s favorite, cherry Cokes, which Mary B. Hebert and Jackie Hargrave Dugas touted as the best they’d ever had. Gayle Pellerin, Lynnell Girourard Romero and Roberta Williams would tend to agree. Of course, there were chocolate Cokes as well, which were Linda Clause’s go-to order, Coke floats for Tammy Perez, and banana Cokes (!) for young Lawrence Etie. 

No matter what the order, the real appeal of Gary’s soda fountain was the experience. Courtney Frioux fondly recalls going to the movies with his mom at the Colonial, and stopping at the fountain at Gary’s At the time, he had an aunt who worked at the Colonial, and another aunt who worked at the Essanee, so going to the movies (and Gary’s afterwards) was as much a social activity as entertainment.

Working at Gary’s Drug Store was almost as popular with young people as the soda fountain. Donnie Champeaux worked there in high school as the delivery driver. Donnie’s brother Glenn married Elwood Gary’s daughter Sylvia. Jackie Hargrave Dugas’ future mother-in-law worked at Gary’s, Miss Sue Migues. Robert Trahan delivered for them in 1953-54, it was Brenda Ann Johnson’s mom’s first job in the 1940s. Shirley Dautreuil worked there in the mid-’50s and still has fond memories.

Gladys Dorsey Giarratano shared some vintage photographs of her grandparents, Sidney and Gladys Gary, as well as some photos of the store including a painting of the original store which hangs in the Garys’ house. Johnny Gary also shared some pictures of both locations of the store and the demolition of the later store dated September 1975. Alana Kaye Landry Lindsey submitted a photo of herself posing perched on a soda fountain stool in Gary’s circa 1969.

There was some confusion on Facebook as to what the exact location of the store had been, Jackie Viator asked if it was where Guidry’s Cake Shop is now. Johnny Gary set Jackie straight, fixing the location as the current Bouligny Plaza.

Gary’s Drug Store is gone, and certainly missed. Tammy Perez said she loves and misses that place — those were the days. Terry Dorsey echoes that sentiment, Terry misses that drug store every day. All that is left of the Gary’s soda fountain, the legendary cherry Cokes, chocolate sodas and malts are a few faded photos and of course, the fond recollections of New Iberians who enjoyed them so.