Page 80 - The Connection Warren-Watchung Edition September 2012

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EDGEWOOD
PHARMACY
62 Mountain Blvd.
Warren
By: Lauren Greenberg
Tom and Steve Castronovo
Twenty years ago, I was brand new to
Warren. I moved here knowing one person, and
had 2 young children with whom I shared a bad
case of Pink Eye the very first week in our new
home. Upon arriving at Drug Fair (now
Walgreens), I was told that they were all out of
my prescription. So I drove across the street to
Edgewood Pharmacy, a small, local shop I
knew nothing about.
Tom Castronovo, owner for 30 years at that
time, greeted me warmly. He filled my prescrip-
tion, and as he did, I realized that in my panic (a
household of conjunctivitis is a nightmare!), I
had left my house with no wallet. “Don’t worry,”
he said with a smile as he handed me my bag.
“You’ll come back.”
I can’t tell you how many hundreds of purchas-
es I have made there since, but I can tell you this: I
never filled a prescription at another pharmacy.
There are literally thousands of local cus-
tomers who can tell a similar story about Tom
and his son Steve, who now runs the pharmacy
department. This father and son team happily
comes to work each day with one goal in mind –
to serve our community in a caring, personal
manner. Steve knows everyone by name, and
makes sure that all of his customers receive the
same warm and caring service that has been the
Edgewood Pharmacy tradition for 50 years.
50 YEARS? Yes, in October this Warren fix-
ture will be having a BIG birthday! Edgewood
Pharmacy is proud to be celebrating this mile-
stone event, continuing their reign of being the
longest operating, continuous ownership retail
business in the township.
In 1962, when Tom, a second-generation
pharmacist began this business, he told me
“there were more chickens than people in
Warren!” Born and raised in Watchung, Tom
saw first-hand what the job entailed, watching
his father, Frank, run his business, the Watchung
Pharmacy, which opened in 1939. Although his
father warned him that it was a tough life, Tom
wanted to be a pharmacist after seeing how
much satisfaction it brought his dad. After work-
ing at a few other pharmacies, at the age of 25,
Tom opened Edgewood Pharmacy, with the
help of his mother, Ann, and later his wife, Mary
Ann. In those days, business was so quiet that he
opened a branch of the post office inside the
shop, thinking it would be a good way to get to
know the community! (That branch office stayed
at Edgewood until moving to its first home on
Washington Valley Road.)
Tom and Mary Ann are still residents of
Warren, and raised their three children, Tommy,
Steve, and Lanie here. Steve came into the busi-
ness right after earning his degree at the College
of Pharmacy at the University of Rhode Island
twenty-five years ago. Having worked with his
dad all through his childhood, doing all sorts of
odd jobs, Steve always knew that being a third
generation pharmacist was his calling. He con-
tinues to live locally as well, raising his 3 children,
CJ, Sarah and Kevin in Basking Ridge.
What makes Edgewood Pharmacy so differ-
ent from a chain drug store is evident not only by
talking to its owners, but by the friendly staff,
most of whom have been there for at least ten
years. When you pick up a prescription, it is not
unlikely to be asked how you are feeling, and any
questions you have will be answered in a way that
is easy to understand. I have often been in the
pharmacy and seen Steve work patiently with eld-
erly clients, inquiring about their spouses and chil-
dren. He proudly told me that he serves many
families of three generations as customers!
For the past 3 years, Tom has concentrated
on energizing and merchandising the always-
evolving front-of-store displays, ranging from
wonderful greeting cards to gifts, jewelry, and a
full line of Vera Bradley designs. Need a last-
minute birthday party gift? Edgewood
Pharmacy has a huge assortment of toys for all
ages. House gifts, high-end grooming supplies,
and seasonal items are always beautifully dis-
played.
Steve continues to take courses in preventa-
tive medicine, and is very well versed in the
growing field of homeopathic cures and vita-
mins. Edgewood Pharmacy carries an exten-
sive line of vitamins and natural supplements,
and Steve can help you make the right decision
regarding which ones may be right for you and
your family.
Another difference at Edgewood is how
they are staffed each day. There are always 2
licensed pharmacists as well as one technician on
hand, to cut down on the wait time for cus-
tomers. Both Tom and Steve feel that an over-
worked staff cannot provide good service, and
the extra hands make a better working environ-
ment for everyone. And a happy staff can only
trickle down to how customers are treated.
Do you have a sick child asleep in the car?
No problem! Call Steve, and he will run your pre-
scription out to you. A late night doctor’s
appointment? It may be just about closing time,
but he will wait for you (and here, once again, I
speak from experience!) Moving? No problem!
Edgewood Pharmacy has customers driving
from Manhattan and an hour west of here to
continue the service they have come to expect.
Edgewood Pharmacy is proud to support
the community in a variety of ways, from spon-
soring baseball and soccer teams to donating
gifts to all venues of local events. As the town
blossomed, both Tom and Steve have tried and
succeeded to keep up with the growing
demands of a larger client base without ever
compromising their small-town values. So it was
no surprise that when I asked Steve if he planned
any big changes, he looked me in the eye and
said, “No. We will adapt and react to the
changes in town, but I want to operate the store
without changing.”
Amen. And Happy Anniversary!
50 th
An ive a y