The owner of a more-than 60-year-old downtown Cumming drugstore says he plans to restore operations as soon as possible after a devastating fire Sunday night.
Jimmy Goodson, owner of Goodson Drug Company, said the fire started not long after he had closed for the day Sunday evening.
"Everything was ok whenever we left," Goodson said. "We left the building at 5:30, and at 7:00 there was a 911 call."
While the extent of the damage is still being assessed, Goodson said he expects the building to be a total loss. Forsyth County Fire Division Chief Jason Shivers told AccessWDUN Monday that a neighboring business had also suffered minor damage.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Goodson said since the fire, his staff has been working to transfer their customers' prescriptions to other operating pharmacies.
"We've got to serve our people, because they can't do without their medicines," Goodson said. "We're getting started right now with a temporary computer station."
Once that is finished, Goodson said the focus will shift to how the pharmacy, which has operated on the downtown Cumming square for 65 years, will move forward. He said the goal is to remain downtown.
"We're planning on going back. We're trying to either get this location fixed up or find one. We'll probably get a temporary (location) for a while," Goodson said. "We ain't going nowhere unless the good Lord has something to do with it."
No injuries were reported in the Sunday evening fire.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2024/11/1271738/we-aint-going-nowhere-longtime-cumming-drugstore-owners-vow-return-after-fire