Wagner's Pharmacy ready for swarms of customers during Derby Week
Thousands are flocking to Wagner’s Pharmacy next to Churchill Downs this week for breakfast and lunch.
It’s a Derby staple for many, including the workers.
For many, being at Wagner’s during Derby week is a tradition that is as old as the Derby itself. But the workers here say it’s just another day in paradise.
If you work at Wagner’s Pharmacy, you know that when Derby Week rolls around, it’s nonstop.
But one worker stands out.
Pam Pryor is supposed to be relaxing on a beach with a piña colada, enjoying retirement.
“I missed this place so bad. It was rough for a year being out of here,” she said.
But as they say, if you do something you love, you never work a day in your life.
“I got bored, so I called Mr. Wagner and said, ‘Do you need any help?’ And he said, ‘Oh God, yes, please,’” Pryor said.
So it’s now 26 years and counting for Pryor.
She and the team are prepared for the influx of customers this week. On any given day, they go through cases of biscuits, 40 to 50 pounds of bacon, and several cases of eggs.
“It gets bad in here. It gets so bad that we have to line ’em up and have them in the back in a line, and we have to take their names and put it in because they all want to come in here,” Pryor said.
If you’re prepared to wait a bit, the staff says they’ll take care of you before or after the races.
“As soon as you walk in here, it’s family. Everybody is family-oriented. The staff is ready to help you with everything that needs to be done,” Pryor said.
Wagner’s Pharmacy is open at 6 a.m. every morning this week and closes at 2:30 p.m. They’ll be offering dinner from 7 to 9:30 p.m. on Friday.
