After 15 Years, Family Owned Laguna Drug Shuts Its Doors For Good

LAGUNA BEACH, CA -- After 15 years in business in Laguna Beach, family-owned Laguna Drug closed it's doors for good at 5 p.m. Saturday, June 8.

A big part of the reason why it's being shuttered, owner Cyndi Olsen told the Daily Pilot newspaper, was that the store was limited in what goods and services it could offer customers because of the now-outdated lease that it first opened under in 2004.

The lease, she said, did not allow for more health and beauty products, which led to the store not being able to attract a wider customer base, and therefore lose money.

In 2017, national chain CVS tried to buy the store, but the sale was eventually denied by the city, which said the chain's mix of products wasn't diverse enough. The rejection of the sale was the final straw for Olsen, who said she decided to close the store once it's lease expired in June 2019.

Olsen and her family plans to spend the next couple of weeks liquidating merchandise and cleaning up the building to prepare it for the landlord, she told the newspaper.

"We can’t fully express our deep gratitude for your business and support," a June 4 post of the drug store's official Facebook page states. "Working with in the Laguna Beach community has been nothing but an absolute pleasure."

A new tenant has not yet been identified, but Olsen said she and her family will continue running two other drug stores, both located in Newport Beach.