Grannick's Pharmacy Closes After 80 Years In Greenwich

GREENWICH, CT — Grannick's Pharmacy, a staple on Greenwich Avenue for 80 years, closed up shop on June 13.

"Thank you for selecting us as your pharmacy and supporting us for so many years. We'd like you to know that Grannick's Pharmacy has made the decision to close its doors," the pharmacy said in a brief announcement on its website.

In 2019, former First Selectman Peter Tesei declared Nov. 26 as Grannick's Pharmacy Day in the town of Greenwich to honor one of the last true family businesses in town.

"This family-friendly environment became a second home to many a Greenwich resident. The pharmacy connected to the people as more than a store, and for decades solidified its place in the community, Tesei's 2019 proclamation said.

The pharmacy was the legacy of pharmacist and entrepreneur Irving Grannick, who was born in New Haven in 1916.

In the 1930s he attended Yale University to become a physician, but due to the Great Depression, he was unable to financially continue.

Irving transferred to the New Haven College of Pharmacy, which later became part of the University of Connecticut, and earned his pharmacy degree, according to a proclamation issued by Tesei in 2019.

In 1940 while working at a pharmacy in Danbury, Irving was sent to manage a location in Greenwich, the proclamation explained.

Irving fell in love with the town, and in 1942, he opened Grannick's Pharmacy in the location that is now Betteridge Jewelers.

In 1966, the pharmacy moved to 277 Greenwich Ave., where it stayed until it closed this week.

The pharmacy looked much different 50-60 years ago. For example, it once featured a soda fountain and food cooked by Irving's wife, Mary, whose signature dishes included shepherd's pie and beef stew.

According to a New York Times article from July 17, 1977, Grannick's Pharmacy even sold handguns, rifles, shotguns, munitions and accessories for target practice at one point.

Charles Grannick, son of Irving, explained to the NY Times that he turned an empty downstairs supply room into a gun shop.

As a result, the NY Times said, many police officers from Greenwich and even Stamford frequented the pharmacy to purchase off-duty guns and other equipment.

First Selectman Fred Camillo, a lifelong Greenwich resident, remembers visiting the pharmacy as a kid.

"It's always sad when you see a longtime establishment like Grannick's close. It's been there for as long as I've been here and before that," Camillo told Patch. "It's just a reminder that things are constantly changing and it's certainly not the town I grew up in. But we have great memories of the store and wish them luck in their future endeavors."

Grannick's said on its website that prescriptions and insurance/physician information will be confidentially transferred to CVS Pharmacy at 99 Greenwich Ave.