Fair Oaks Pharmacy and Soda Fountain

The inspiration

The name changed over the decades, from the Raymond Pharmacy in the 1920s and 30s to the Fair Oaks Pharmacy in the early 1940s¹ .

Who's behind it

Gertrude Ozmun, an entrepreneur described by the shop's own history as ahead of her time, financed and founded the business, with the building designed by Los Angeles architect Arthur Benton¹ .

What to order

• Kitchen Sink sundae: eight scoops and eight toppings with brownie, banana and whipped cream, weighing twelve pounds and meant to be shared⁴
• Banana split: a house specialty, with the shop making more than a thousand of them a year⁴
• Milkshakes and malts: hand-dipped with Thrifty ice cream at the marble counter⁴
• Ice cream sodas, egg creams and floats: old-fashioned fountain classics on a long menu that also covers sandwiches, burgers and breakfast

What people are saying

Local media coverage highlights the vintage design, elaborate candy displays and oversized sundaes that draw both tourists and locals² . The unusual pairing of a working compounding pharmacy with a soda fountain comes up repeatedly in coverage^4,5,3 .

Why you should try it

This is a rare chance to sit at a century-old marble counter on old Route 66 and drink a phosphate made with acid compounded on site^4,2,3 . Few places around Los Angeles still operate this way, so it makes an easy and memorable stop during a South Pasadena stay⁴ .