Drug Store Has Been Serving The Village Since 1902
/
Jones Drug Store/JDS Village Gifts has been serving the Northport community since its inception in 1902.
By Janee Law
jlaw@longislandergroup.com
In the lively village of Northport, Jones Drug Store/JDS Village Gifts has been serving Main Street patrons for more than 100 years, providing an all-in-one stop for shoppers.
“I love running the store because it’s interesting, and it keeps you going,” owner and pharmacist Vincent Terranova, of Northport, said. “The people who come in here are tremendous.”
When it first opened in Northport in 1902, the store was owned by Louis H. Jones and located at 90 Main St. It was sold in 1954 to Anthony Degaspari, who later moved it to its current 3,400-square-foot location at 100 Main St. in 1972.
Although Terranova started working for the pharmacy in 1972, he bought the store 11 years later in 1983.
He said he bought the store because he enjoyed the atmosphere and felt that Northport is a great place to own a business.
Terranova said that the original store was diversified, as illustrated by the soda fountain that brought many visitors to the store.
But it’s now even more diverse, offering a full-service pharmacy, while also selling nautical gifts, t-shirts, sweat shirts, home décor and more.
The store will also sell its own calendar, a 2017 Northport calendar, which was created by Richard Podlesney and Melissa Maravell and will be sold exclusively at the store, that was created by two Northport residents. The calendar will showcase popular Northport sites, including Jones Drug Store, Seymour’s Boatyard, Skipper’s Pub and the bandstand gazebo.
Those sites are “a part of everybody in the village here,” Terranova said.
Long Islander News photos/Janee Law
Owner and pharmacist Vincent Terranova of Jones Drug Store/JDS Village Gifts is preparing his store with medicine for the upcoming winter season.
As the warm weather dissipates and the cold slowly moves in, Terranova said he expects prescription requests to increase.
“We’re concentrating on prescriptions right now because, unfortunately, it’s flu season and that’s when we really get into high gear,” he said. “Hopefully everybody stays well, but we’ll keep them well if they get sick.”
In addition, Terranova said, Jones Drug Store will also deliver patrons proper, reliable service when dealing with their prescriptions.
Customers “ask questions when they need advice,” Terranova said. “I like giving advice to people because they respect what you give them, and it also goes both ways.”
Jones Drug Store/JDS Village Gifts
100 Main St., Northport
631-261-7070
Jonesdrugstore.com
