LINCOLN PARK — Aaron's Apothecary, an old-world apothecary devoted to customer service, has sold to a pharmacy chain.
The shop at 2338 N. Clark St. has reopened as a Pharmaca Integrative Pharmacy outlet.
Owner Aaron Pietrykowski boasted of his unique mission and the store's motto — "bringing something special back to pharmacy." The Aaron's Apothecary website, which is still active, said: "Through his extensive travels, Aaron used his impressions of some of the great pharmacies of the world to revive a trade that fell victim to modern times. Within seconds of entering his Chicago boutique, the hands of time are turned back, and the grandeur of the apothecary is reborn."
"I opened Aaron Apothecary because of my strong conviction that a pharmacy experience should be more than just a 45-minute wait in a cold, stale environment," Pietrykowski was quoted as saying on the site. "The great pharmacies of old were pillars of their communities in both appearance and service. Old-world apothecaries represented a time when personal care was met with pride and gratitude. I have set out to recapture this moment in time and revive how glamorous and extraordinary pharmacies once were."
Loyal customer Paula Kahn noticed the store closed Monday and seemingly preparing to reopen under new ownership. "What a sad loss for the neighborhood," she said.
But store manager Ken Hannigan pledged Tuesday as it reopened to maintain the same attention to service as the new outlet for the Pharmaca chain based in Boulder, Colo. He said Pharmaca shared much of Pietrykowski's attention to detail and philosophy.
"All of the staff was retained," he said, "and that level of service that Aaron brings, their goal is to continue that, augment that with products and services."
Hannigan added that customers would see little change for at least the next month.
"There's a lot of system conversion, and that's pretty much going to go through the month of October," he said. "So you won't see a true Pharmaca iteration until probably the first week of November," when a grand opening is planned.
Pietrykowski did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
