After more than 100 years of serving the San Francisco community, Central Drug Store in the Excelsior District officially closes its doors on Tuesday. The announcement comes as owner Jerry Tonelli, the neighborhood pharmacist for five decades, retires on his own terms.
Tonelli shared the news in a heartfelt Facebook post last month, noting that the family-run pharmacy had weathered industry pressures and outlasted retail giants like Walgreens, CVS, Rite Aid, and mail-order providers. “We are a small, but mighty, pharmacy,” Tonelli wrote. “It is time for all of us to start a new phase in our lives and spend more time with our families.”
The Tonelli family has operated Central Drug Store since 1965, though the pharmacy’s roots in the Excelsior neighborhood date back to the early 1900s. For the Tonellis, the business was deeply personal. Tonelli’s parents met at the store, and his mother continued working there until she was 96. He took over in his 30s after his father passed away.
The announcement was met with an outpouring of gratitude and nostalgia from longtime customers. “I can’t put into words what a blessing Central Drug, Jerry and the Tonelli family have been to me and my family for over 50 years,” one person wrote. Another added, “There will not be another pharmacist or drugstore like yours.”
Despite navigating the increasingly difficult landscape of independent pharmacy, Tonelli emphasized that his decision to retire was not due to financial pressure. However, he acknowledged broader industry challenges. Independent pharmacies, he noted, face mounting obstacles, many tied to the rise of pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), which often favor larger chains through complex pricing and reimbursement systems.
“The city started letting Walgreens come into the city, and what happened then was they usually opened up next to the independent, and eventually the independent had to close,” Tonelli told CBS.
While Central Drug Store survived those challenges for decades, Tonelli expressed concern for the future of small, independent pharmacies. His farewell message honored the customers who stood by the business throughout its remarkable run.
“This was never just a store,” he said. “It was a part of our family—and of this community.”