Bob Sample sounded exuberant, even excited on the phone. “Elaine and I are coming back to Grand Marais and opening a new business. It will be called Grand Marais Pharmacy,” he said.
He and his wife, Elaine, project the opening of the new business to be on September 19—the exact date dependent on final inspections and regulatory approvals. It will be located at 425 West Highway 61, in the log building next to Chez Jude just off Highway 61 at the old entrance to the Gunflint Trail. The newly remodeled main entrance is located on the upper level of the building near the parking area on the north side of the building, which is handicap accessible with a ramp and a set of stairs depending on whether you come off the street parking or the parking area reserved in the north parking lot.
A longtime pharmacist, Sample has owned and operated several pharmacies in the past.
“I have been a pharmacist for 40 years and graduated from the University of Iowa in 1971 as senior class president. I grew up in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and started going into the Boundary Waters about 35 years ago and was a guide for many groups over those years. We built our home locally in 2008 and now live here permanently,” said Sample.
Recently Sample has been working in Iowa, but he set his current plan in motion last January. It just took longer to get things going than he thought, and then finding a location for the business proved to be daunting. But in the end, he said it all worked out and he’s getting ready to come home. And he does consider Cook County to be his home.
Describing his wife’s role, Sample said, “Elaine was a beautician most of her life until we got married and she has learned the pharmacy business from me and has put her arms around retail pharmacy. She will be in charge of the over-the-counter (OTC) drugs as well as the cards and gift items along with being one of our pharmacy technicians,” Sample said.
Grand Marais Pharmacy will be, in Sample’s words, “A full service independent pharmacy and we will be able to serve the needs of the city and county, including Grand Portage. We will have a frequent shopper loyalty program that will allow everyone who spends anything at the pharmacy to redeem merchandise based on the number of points they have accumulated. We will also have free coffee and goodies every day (compliments of Elaine) and a very friendly, courteous atmosphere.
We will have new lines of merchandise including a large selection of compression hosiery, a full line of diabetic supplies and foot products for diabetics, a sports injury/ preventative product line and greeting cards 50 percent off every day year round.
“We will also offer free delivery, free mail out and 24 hour emergency service,” said Sample.
Sample has cultivated richness in running rural pharmacies. In 1985 he received the Iowa Pharmacist’s Association and the University of Iowa College of Pharmacy’s Outstanding Community Pharmacist in the state of Iowa for the last quarter century.
“That’s one achievement that I am proud of as well as being humbled to receive that recognition as it came from my peers,” said Sample.
As they start out, Bob and Elaine will employ four to five people, but he said, “As we grow we will add more employees. We will be competitive locally and we will guarantee the lowest price. We will have weekly and monthly specials that will be offered for a reduced sale price as well.”
“We can’t wait to get up and running!” Sample said.
Leave a Reply