Pharmacy counting on name, service

Motorists passing by the Kenilworth Shopping Center might be scratching their heads over a temporary sign along Highland Road.

But no, the K&B drug store chain founded in 1905 in New Orleans that disappeared after being bought by Rite Aid in 1997 is not making a comeback.

K&B Pharmacy is a new venture by Kirk Jeane, owner of Village Pharmacy in Port Vincent, and pharmacist Richard Bienvenue, who came up with the name using an initial from each partner, thinking it might raise a few eyebrows.

Jeane said he had his attorney check it out and was told the use of the owners’ initials shouldn’t present a problem because the former K&B is no longer a going concern.

“I figure if one person is curious about it, maybe they’ll stop in,” he said.

“We’re going to see how it rides ….,” he continued. “Whatever happens, happens. You just try to get any edge you can.”

The shopping center, which is being marketed by Latter & Blum, is anchored by a Matherne’s Super Market, and Jeane said having a pharmacy in that area makes sense.

Jeane, a former Walgreens manager from Denham Springs, said the prescription volume in the Kenilworth area is high and that there is always a market for a local operation, which can offer personalized service, unique gifts that include local artwork, and free coffee and doughnuts.

“It’s just one of those things that there is still a segment of people who want to see their local pharmacist,” he said. “They don’t see Village Pharmacy, they wanna see Kirk.”

Jeane said he’s not afraid of the dominance of national chains.

As a competitor, he said nearby chain drug stores “are your best friend. They can’t keep up. They don’t have the personality to care enough and they send 30 or 40 people our way a day.”

“Once they come into my store, they’re not leaving,” he said.

Jeane now has a second Village Pharmacy on the way in Walker. The large free-standing store should be open in March, he said.