Brent's Story

Brent’s Drugs opened its doors in October 1946 with the completion of Morgan Center, the first shopping center in Mississippi later renamed Woodland Hills Shopping Center. Pharmacist Alvin Brent left Patterson’s Drug in the Plaza Building downtown (at the time known as Standard Life Building) to open up his own pharmacy and soda fountain in the Fondren neighborhood. Even from the first days that the doors were open,Brent’s was not only a successful pharmacy, but also a local gathering place for friends and neighbors.

Brent owned and ran the pharmacy until he sold it in 1977 to pharmacists Paul Heflin and Bob Grantham, who had worked at Brent's since 1951. Pharmacist Randy Calvert acquired Brent’s in 1995 and sold the pharmacy business in April 2009. Fondren resident Brad Reeves obtained a pharmacy-free Brent’s in July 2009. In order to comply with city regulations, the kitchen was moved to the former pharmacy. In 2014, Brent's owners took on a renovation, bringing Brent's to the modern age while keeping its beloved charm. The soda fountain and classic bar stools remain in the original 1946 location and are still a gathering place for friends and neighbors alike. Decades and generations later, Brent's Drugs continues to prescribe soda fountain favorites and Southern hospitality.