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The Peoples Drug

View through a window into a dimly lit bar with marble tables, candles, and metal chairs; a backlit sign reading DRUGS hangs above the bar, and warm lights reflect off a decorative ceiling.
Two sandwiches, one partially wrapped in brown paper and one unwrapped, sit on a white surface near a menu titled Chef-Crafted Sandwiches from Peoples. The sandwiches appear to have deli meats and cheese.
A bowl of grilled shrimp with corn, cherry tomatoes, and greens sits on a tray beside a bottle of San Pellegrino sparkling water and a glass of water with lime, all on a marble surface.
A tray with fried shrimp and lettuce in a paper boat, a cup of dipping sauce, and an open-faced sandwich topped with lettuce, avocado slices, and strawberries.
A copper mug with a handle sits on a marble surface, filled with a drink garnished with a lime wheel and a twist of lemon peel, against a gray tiled background.
A wooden tray holds a mason jar of red liquid, cups of sliced cucumbers, seasoned salt, stuffed peppers with peppers, lemon wedges and olives on skewers, and a cup with pickles, lemon, and cherry tomatoes.
A yellow drink with ice and a dried lime garnish in a glass with a chili rim sits next to a bottle labeled People Supporting People’s, containing a similar yellow liquid.
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The co-owners of The Peoples Drug can just barely remember walking into Peoples Drug Store, founded in Alexandria in 1905. There inside the store, you would find the signature white marble soda fountain serving hamburgers and vanilla cokes to patrons taking a shopping break or stopping in for a quick lunch. Co-founder Teddy Kim remembers, as a kid, thinking that sitting at the counter and placing an order “made you feel like a grown-up.”

Over the course of the 20th century, Peoples, and its lunch counter expanded to over 800 stores in the District of Columbia and 10 states from Florida to New York, including several in Alexandria. By the early 90’s, the Peoples chain had been bought out by larger competitors and its iconic lunch counters were a thing of the past. Fortunately, Peoples long history gave most Washingtonians first-hand memories of classic American traditions like the lunch counter, the soda jerk, and the Corner Drug Store.

Today, The Peoples Drug has been re-imagined, with a general store, lunch counter style but a decidedly modern take on its offerings. Serving chef-driven gourmet sandwiches, locally-sourced bowls, exquisitely crafted cocktails along with new age remedies like cold-pressed juice and super foods, it’s the perfect place for lunch, happy hour or weekend brunch.

Now, Peoples, to which it was often referred, is once again a great place to get a delicious sandwich, a fantastic drink, and try to feel like a grown-up.