All Mike Zoss did was run a pharmacy. But judging from the legacy, the stories and now the film, Mike Zoss actually did much more.

Nine months back, Barry Zoss, Mike's son, got a call from the movie-making Coen brothers: They were filming "No Country for Old Men" and wanted to name the pharmacy in the movie "Mike Zoss Drugs"

Barry Zoss was honored, if not entirely surprised. About nine years ago, after his father's death, he got a similar call -- this one from Oscar-winning actress Frances McDormand, Joel Coen's wife: The Coen brothers wondered if he'd be OK with them renaming their production company "Mike Zoss Productions."

Turns out back before they were famous filmmakers, back when they were young kids living in St. Louis Park, the Coen brothers hung out at Mike Zoss Drugs on Minnetonka Boulevard while their mom shopped at the old Red Owl nearby.

"They said their fondest memories were in my father's store," Barry Zoss said. "He never hollered, never kicked them out. 'He was just the nicest person, and we remembered that,'" the Coen brothers told him.

Barry Zoss smiled and leaned forward. "And that's my sole ambition -- for people to talk that way about me."

He's already succeeding. His own version of Zoss Drug is a fixture in Minnetonka's Glen Lake neighborhood. And the man behind its counter? "A wonderful person," said Gerry Lowe, who has lived in Minnetonka since 1990. "He's a huge part of this community."

Father offered example

Barry Zoss grew up in his father's drugstore, which opened at Minnetonka Boulevard and Texas Avenue in 1950. His first responsibility: making sure kids didn't steal. Then came positions as stock boy, delivery boy and cashier.

Through it all, he saw how his father related to customers. Mike Zoss asked how the twins were, if a husband's ankle was healing, where they'd be playing golf that weekend.

"He hated being behind the counter," Barry Zoss said. "He was a people person, always out front, schmoozing with everybody."

When Barry Zoss went to the University of Minnesota, he considered careers in accounting, medicine and dentistry before deciding on pharmacy -- to his father's consternation. "He actually saw the future of pharmacy and tried to talk me out of it," Barry Zoss said.

Competition was getting tougher, and independent drugstores would soon become rarer. In fact, while Barry Zoss was in school, his father sold his store. But by the time Barry graduated, Mike Zoss had bought another store -- this one in north Minneapolis.

Barry ran his Glen Lake store for 17 years before selling in 2001 to Snyders, when they made him a "ridiculous" offer.

Afterward, he was working for the chains -- 9 to 5, no weekends, no holidays -- when he got a call from Tom Wartman, a local developer: He was redeveloping part of his property in Glen Lake, and would Barry be interested in reopening his store?

Barry agreed. Now, Barry's running his own store, on nights, on weekends, and he often makes deliveries, anytime, to those who can't come in.

But he couldn't be happier.

Customers are happy to see him back. He can't go five minutes in his store without someone saying "hi" or "thank you."