The selling of Los Banos Drugs was as much of a surprise to the building owner as it was to other residents of Los Banos.
Taylor Wolfsen, the owner of the building occupied by Los Banos Drugs, first realized his tenant would be leaving when he saw a “bulk sale” notice in a local newspaper.
“Like other people in Los Banos, I’m still in a state of shock,” Wolfsen said. “This building on the corner of Sixth and K Streets means a lot to me, my family and the community. We are committed to honoring the building’s history.”
Since Los Banos Drugs will be closing its doors on June 17, Wolfsen is already talking to other business owners who might be interested in being the next tenant.
“Ideally,” Wolfsen said, “I’d like to rent the building to a company that could operate a drugstore on this site. If that’s not feasible, I want to do everything I can to keep the exterior the same and the lunch counter operating.”
Wolfsen noted that a few years ago he and his family invested in a renovation of the building’s exterior. And his family’s attachment to the building goes back several generations.
His grandfather owned the drug store, and Taylor’s mother spent time behind the lunch counter. “My mom tells the story of her father letting her as a young girl go behind the counter on Sundays when the store was closed. She was allowed to make any ice cream treat she’d like, as long as she ate all of it.
“To this day,” Taylor added,” she doesn’t care to eat any more chocolate.”
Wolfsen will continue to look for a tenant who could run a profitable business in the building while honoring the building’s history, his family’s history and the community’s interests.
