Rock & Roll Remedies at Southrifty Drug in Southampton

I go out of my way to Southrifty Drug in Southampton, even in the Summer. I would walk uphill, there and back, if I had to. I go to Southrifty Drug every time because it reminds me that I am part of a year-round community here in the Hamptons, and I love the tunes! Maybe I sound dramatic, but it’s just nice to see someone familiar smile and say hello. That’s its own medicine.

I am entirely serious when I say that I chose Southrifty Drug as my pharmacy in the Hamptons, it was because I heard his advertisement on WLIW-FM (“Long Island’s Only NPR Station”). Anyone who advertises on a local NPR station is getting my attention and supporting vital local journalism. As a writer and year-round resident, that means a lot to me.

Robert Grisnik, Supervising Pharmacist, is an East End icon and patriot who served in the US Air Force as a pilot. His humility and commitment to serving his county and community speak volumes. Ask anyone who knows him—from the Lions Club, the Elks, The KOC, VFW, American Legion (the list goes on)—he is a genuinely good guy who has served the Southampton community for generations. 

His reputation precedes him in the best way possible, personally and professionally. In 1992, he earned the Bowl of Hygeia Award for outstanding pharmacy services and community leadership and celebrated the 50th anniversary of his ownership of Southrifty Drug in 2022.

The soundtrack is critical to the Southrifty formula, with Bob Grisnik love for doo-wop, sock hop and classic rock & roll in general, as its active ingredient. No muzak piped in from corporate or endless elevator music when you’re on hold. For fun, call and ask to hear Southrifty’s hold music (631) 283-1506.

When did stores stop putting up photos of their families inside or helping raise money for a local bake drive? I’m glad Southrifty ignored that memo. Those personal touches are more than charming accents; they are the essence of what makes a business like Southrifty so important in America and in the Hamptons especially. 

If I am making Southrifty Drug appear charming and quaint, that’s good, but it is in no way at the expense of efficiency. The opposite: not only is the team fast and discrete, but you will learn to appreciate the luxury of never hearing an automated voice say, “To speak with a human—press 1, followed by the pound sign and your 12-digit account pin.” Someone will just answer the phone and talk to you.

Southrifty Drug is state-of-the-art in friendliness. They are industry leaders in remembering your name, your kids’ names, and where they go to college. That is the best kind of loyalty program, the luxury of community. But yes, they absolutely do offer prescription delivery options.

I’ve never heard anyone discuss politics or religion inside. It’s neighborly. It’s not like everyone’s friends, so introverts feel free to read a magazine (yes, they still make those!) or just stare at your phone. For me, it just feels like more like home knowing there are places like Southrifty where I might run into an old friend or make a new one.

Southrifty Drug has everything you could need to help you feel better and all the essentials for wellness while you’re in the Hamptons. Big chain pharmacies feel like an ever-shifting maze of aisles, struggling to find the sunscreen or one of the employees to help find it. Thankfully, you won’t have to crash through a wall of Bonefish Grill gift cards to find the Q-Tips.

I promise I wrote the above paragraph before reading this on their website: “In a world where the line between a drug store and a gas station mini-mart is increasingly blurred, Southrifty Drug has steadfastly kept its focus on what it considers important…the health and well-being of its customers. That’s why there are just three specialty items in the store that are not directly related to health care.”

I appreciate the moment of calm waiting for my prescriptions; it’s a little afternoon portal to a time and place where people are still neighbors. Conversation comes easy inside, with the always-present “Blue 57 Chevy Radio” to accompany.

Again, I wrote the above before I discovered the “Rock & Roll” page on their webpage!  Bob has organized much-loved local “Oldies” events with the Lions Club and helps keep Long Island’s Rock & Roll History alive and swingin’!

That love of music and radio is shared across the Hamptons airwaves as the exclusive sponsor of two great Rock & Roll radio shows on WLNG (92.1 FM). Bob’s got radio covered: NPR for squares like me and WLNG for the ginchiest greasers cruisin’ Montauk Highway with their steady gal.

Overheard at Southrifty Drug: “It’s good to see you!” says one man to another with a smile easily recognized as sincere.  Not missing a beat, “It’s good to be seen,” the other replies with Johnny Carson’s precision timing, delivering the line for the first or four-hundredth time. 

Things can get complicated in 2024, but that’s pretty easy to understand: It is good to see and be seen. I’m grateful for Southrifty Drug helping me see that.