Heart, hospitality, and a side of nostalgia at Downtown Drugs Soda Shoppe

Agnes McDonald has lived in the Mt. Pleasant area for 87 years, so she has seen a lot of changes. 

For example, her first job was at Claybush’s Drugstore in downtown Mt. Pleasant on Broadway Street.

“It was hard work,” McDonald recalls of her time at Claybush’s Drugstore, where they had a soda shoppe. 

“It was busy. It was fun,” she adds chuckling, because for McDonald, life has had a way of coming full circle. 

Decades later, she now works just across the street from where Claybush’s once stood––at Downtown Drugs Soda Shoppe, one of oldest-standing staples in downtown Mt. Pleasant.

“It’s kind of an old-fashioned building with an old-fashioned soda counter in it,” McDonald continues. “You know, you don’t see them anymore. So, lots of times people will stop in, and they’ll say, ‘Oh, this brings back so many memories.”

And visitors won’t just walk away with nostalgia. McDonald says Soda Shoppe customers won’t leave hungry either. 

“They can expect friendly service and good food,” she says. “We have soups and salads and sandwiches, and of course, we have ice cream and malts and shakes and banana splits and sundaes and sodas and all the good stuff.”

Photo Courtesy Preston Slominski
Besides serving up good food, the Downtown Drugs Soda Shoppe also creates a sense of community for patrons and staff alike.

“There's a lot of returning customers,” says Downtown Drugs manager, Shawn Stressman. “Some people [return] every single day. And then, a lot of people you'll see three times a week.”

“My office is upstairs,” he adds. “I'll be going through there during lunchtime and stop in and just talk to people—people that I've met there just through seeing them at the Soda Shoppe every single day. Casual conversations with them turn into longer conversations, because, you know, now you consider them friends.”


Stressman also adds that McDonald herself is an inspiration to everyone she meets. One of those reasons is most certainly the annual sidewalk Giving Tree that McDonald coordinates—offering warm accessories and other needed items during the colder months.

“We put a rack up around a tree that sets out in front of the store,” she says. “A customer built the rack for me, and then we put items on it. Plastic bags with strings on them so we can tie them on it, and the people can just come by and take what they need.”

For McDonald, it’s a simple yet meaningful way to give back to the Mt. Pleasant community. But she sees her impact extending beyond the Giving Tree. By offering a welcoming atmosphere and a hearty meal, she believes her role is also a way of caring for others.

When asked why that’s important to her, she chuckles again.

“Because I don’t want to get old!”

So, if you haven’t yet visited Downtown Drugs Soda Shoppe for ice cream or a cup of potato soup? McDonald says you’re missing out.

“It’s a nostalgic building. It has a lot of memories inside,” she says. “We’re not fancy. We’re just clean and have lots of food.”

“I love the customers,” McDonald concludes. “I love the people I work with. It’s just an awesome place to work.”

Learn more about Downtown Drugs Soda Shoppe and their menu by visiting their Facebook page.