Bizbeat: Thrifty White closes its Hastings pharmacy

A longstanding Hastings drugstore shut its doors last week.

After about five decades, Thrifty White Pharmacy called it quits in Hastings when it shut its drugstore there on Thursday.

"We've been there for quite a long time. Forty-eight years we've been in Hastings," said Dave Rueter, vice president of personnel of Thrifty White Pharmacy.

The growing number of pharmacies in the neighborhood was one reason for the closing, he said.

"There's been a lot of new pharmacies that have come to Hastings in the last few years," he said. "That has cut the pie into more pieces."

The pharmacy, located at 1102 Vermillion St., was sold to Walgreens, which already has a store a block away. Patients records from the Hastings pharmacy have been transferred down the street to Walgreens.

Another Thrifty White that was located in the Westview Shopping Center closed about a decade ago, Rueter said.

The Thrifty White Pharmacy in Mound is scheduled to close in mid-February, Rueter said. That drugstore is being turned into a Walgreens.

Despite these changes, Thrifty White has been growing, Rueter said. It opened four new stores in the last six months, he said.

"This isn't the normal trend for the company, but unfortunately for these two locations, that's how it worked out," he said.

Checkers closing leaves one in stateYou will have to venture a little further north if you want a taste of Checkers' seasoned fries or a classic Big Buford Burger.

The Checkers in West St. Paul has closed, leaving only one of the fast-food restaurants remaining in the state.

The West St. Paul Checkers opened in 2007. It was the company's first location in Minnesota. A Checkers representative didn't give a reason for the closing.

Checkers serves a range of food including hamburgers, wings and milkshakes. According to its website, Checkers Drive-In Restaurants Inc., based in Tampa, Fla., has more than 800 restaurants around the country.

The remaining Minnesota Checkers is located at 615 66th Av. N. in Brooklyn Center.

Nicollet Inn to host wedding expoNicollet Inn is rolling out the red carpet for future brides and grooms with its first wedding expo.

The event will be held at the Burnsville hotel, formerly a Holiday Inn, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. next Sunday. Nicollet Inn is located at 14201 Nicollet Av. S.

There will be wine and food tastings as well as a fashion show during the expo.

The price to attend is $5, but if a guest RSVPs for the event on the hotel's Facebook page at www.facebook.com/nicolletinn, admission will be free. Contact Nathan Kremer for more information at 952-646-3612.