Before there was a cocktail bar on every corner, there was the pharmacy soda counter — the effervescent, all-ages social hub where America went to sip, gossip, and feel a little better. Now, as the country marks a historic anniversary, that overlooked tradition is bubbling back up. And for operators hunting the next distinctive beverage program, it's a format worth a second look.
Leading the charge is Gina Chersevani, owner of the nostalgic bagel-and-booze emporium Buffalo & Bergen in Washington, DC. She has spent twelve years building the bridge back to the soda counter — and she's making it look effortless.
A Vintage Fountain, a Modern Menu
Chersevani opened the first Buffalo & Bergen in Union Market with a classic soda counter design, working ever since to pull the format back into the spotlight. Her inspiration is personal: her mother's childhood memories of Brooklyn pharmacies.
The centerpiece is a rare vintage 1930s Bastian-Blessing soda fountain, which she uses to craft new takes on soda counter staples — egg creams, floats, malts and natural sodas — right alongside inventive cocktails. It's a physical piece of history put to work as a revenue and storytelling engine.
Her secret weapon is the nearly lost art of "jerking." Mastery of the technique gives her precise control over carbonation's pressure and stream, unlocking new possibilities for texture, mouthfeel and taste.
A garden-to-glass philosophy ties it all together. Beets, shiitake mushrooms and gentian root, layered with different styles of soda water, become boldly original drinks — the kind of ingredient-forward, low-and-no-friendly beverages today's guests actively seek out.
Where the Soda Fountain Came From
The soda fountain first appeared in American pharmacies in the late 1700s, dispensing effervescent mineral waters for health and wellness. During Prohibition, fountains became cultural hubs, with bartenders trading the bar rail for the "jerk." Then bottled soda and Repeal in 1933 pulled the two traditions apart for good — until now.
New Orleans and Its Own Fountain Legacy
No soda fountain story is complete without New Orleans. The modern French-inspired restaurant Gautreau's, opened in 1983, sits in a building with deep pharmacy roots: built in 1911 as Jahn's, a Dutch pharmacy, and later home to the Marsh family's pharmacy starting in 1941.
Since a 2023 ownership transition, Executive Chef Rob Mistry has shaped Gautreau's into a dining experience that merges his Parsi heritage with classical French training, all while preserving its intimate, jewel-box atmosphere.
Pastry Chef Jeremiah Dixon honors that soda counter history with a signature dessert — the Caramelized Banana Split, an elevated, deconstructed take on the classic, built with banana bread pudding, homemade banana ice cream and a sour cherry gel.
Next door, Gautreau's neighboring cousin, Avegno, takes on the same pharmacy inspiration with L'Heure Verte, or the "Green Hour" — the historic 5PM ritual built around absinthe-based drinks, with the classic Death in the Afternoon leading the lineup.
The city's fountain legacy runs deeper still: in the 1970s, New Orleans' own Katz & Besthoff drugstores invented the Nectar Cream Soda, a homegrown flavor that's remained a local favorite ever since.
Why It Matters
For beverage-forward operators, the soda fountain revival is more than a nostalgia play — it's a strategic answer to several trends converging at once. Here's what makes it worth your attention:
- All-day, all-ages revenue. Egg creams, floats and natural sodas capture the fast-growing non-alcoholic and low-ABV crowd without abandoning the cocktail program. One counter can sell to the sober-curious guest and the happy-hour regular alike.
- Differentiation through craft. Techniques like "jerking" and garden-to-glass ingredients (beets, shiitake, gentian) create signature drinks that can't be copied off a shelf — exactly the kind of menu innovation that justifies premium pricing.
- Story sells. A vintage fountain or a building's pharmacy history gives your team a narrative to tell tableside and a natural hook for social media and press.
The practical takeaway: you don't need a 1930s Bastian-Blessing to borrow the idea. Building a house-made soda or egg-cream program, leaning into seasonal produce, and framing the whole thing with a bit of history can lift check averages and broaden your daypart appeal.
The Bottom Line
The pharmacy soda fountain built the modern American bar — and its return signals where thoughtful beverage programs are heading: house-made, ingredient-driven, inclusive and rich with story.
For more on how operators are rethinking their pours, read our take on the new economics of craft beverage programs and how smart beverage partnerships are setting new standards.
Is the soda fountain the next big thing for your bar program? Tell us in the comments — we want to hear how you'd revive the jerk.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine’s “Top 40 Under 40” for founding American Wholesale Floral. Politz is also the founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
