June 25, 2025 Breaking News, Latest News, and Videos

Santa Monica Homeopathic Pharmacy Celebrates 70th Birthday:

Opening its doors in 1944, Santa Monica Homeopathic Pharmacy continues to thrive, putting service and staff at the forefront of their enterprise, and setting the stage for small-business success in the city.

For the past 70 years, the Litvak family has owned and operated the bustling, brightly-lit pharmacy that was originally located on Fourth Street and Broadway and called the Santa Monica Drug Company.

“Knowledge, care, integrity, and service,” is the secret to the business’ continuing success explained Bob Litvak, owner and operator of the pharmacy and son of original owners Norman and Mary Litvak.

“The other reality of it is, and maybe it’s because our parents put integrity before income and people before profits, we spend 30 percent of our income on salaries. The industry averages 13 percent or less.”

Now situated at 629 Broadway on the corner of Seventh Street, the pharmacy feels like breath of fresh air and boasts homeopaths, nutritionists, Chinese herbalists, pharmacists, and a slew of advisors.

“If you walk in here at any given time, we will have five to seven consultants on the floor,” Litvak explained. “We’re here to take care of people. It feels good, it’s very rewarding, and somehow we’re still here 70 years after the doors opened and I was playing out the front of the store as a four-year-old.”

Manager Kathy Scott agreed, stating that she couldn’t imagine working anywhere else.

“I love it!,” Scott exclaimed. “I love everything about it. I love helping people, I love the staff, the owners… It’s about helping somebody and really spending that time with somebody. When someone comes in not feeling well and they walk out of here feeling great and come back – What more can you ask? Seriously!”

Taking a holistic view to service, the pharmacy is stocked topped-to-bottom, an all-encompassing approach that, while relying on a strong local customer base, sees some clients travel from afar.

“We’ve had people fly in from Europe on a regular basis and fly in from Japan on a regular basis, to stock up for a year,” Litvak explained. “In Europe, apparently they have to go to the doctor to get certain things that they can come in here and buy off the shelves – so people come a long way.”

The business is the oldest family owned pharmacy in California, according to Litvak’s research and has long been at the forefront of health and innovation.

Originally, in 1944, the store was just like other pharmacies selling alcohol, tobacco, and filling prescriptions, according to Litvak.

“The pharmacy did have some homeopathic remedies which set it apart and made it unique,” he said.

“In the 1960s, my father removed tobacco from the store,” he explained, a bold move in those times, according to his assessment. “Before that, in 1951, liquor and narcotics were removed.”

“Doctors were giving the soldiers amphetamines in the morning to wake them up and get them out and barbiturates to put them to sleep,” he said. “Learning that a regular customer had died my father told the County to find someone else to help them, refusing to continue this association. A sign went up in the window: “No Hard Drugs’”.”

The health haven has a long list of celebrity customers from over the years, including Mel Gibson, Whoopie Goldberg, Goldie Hawn, Oscar winners, Tony winners, Emmy winners and Olympic athletes, many of whose pictures hang on the walls.

“I tell people I’m very selfish,” Litvak concluded. “I wouldn’t do this if it didn’t feel so good. It’s very rewarding.”

Santa Monica Homeopathic Pharmacy is located at 629 Broadway, Santa Monica, on corner of 7th and Broadway. For more information, call 310.395.1131 or visit www.smhomeopathic.com.

in News
<>Related Posts

(Video) Food Fight: Chefs Join Forces to Raise Money to Protect Immigrant Families in Venice

June 24, 2025

June 24, 2025

Estrano, Little Dynamite, Sunday Gravy, Kabob Senpai Answer the Call From Turk’s Pizza Party. Dave Turkel Put This Food Resistance...

(Video) This is Downtown Palisades Six Months After the Devastating Wildfires

June 24, 2025

June 24, 2025

With Only a Few Businesses Remaining and Reopened, The Once-Idyllic District is Still Mostly Charred Remains With Only a Few...

Former Ontrak CEO Sentenced to Prison in $12.5M Insider Trading Scheme

June 24, 2025

June 24, 2025

CEO Receives Federal Prison Sentence for Misusing Stock Trading Plans Terren Scott Peizer, the former CEO and board chairman of...

Planning Commission Approves 18-Story Residential Tower on 6th Street, Rejects Environmental Appeal

June 23, 2025

June 23, 2025

The 194-foot-tall building exceeds local height limits by 109 feet under California’s Density Bonus Law The Santa Monica Planning Commission...

Shooting at Waymo Car Injures Two Juveniles in Santa Monica

June 23, 2025

June 23, 2025

Preliminary findings suggest the shooting was a targeted, isolated incident stemming from a verbal altercation earlier that evening between the...

Sculptor-Designed Marina Del Rey Beach Home Hits Market for Nearly $10M

June 23, 2025

June 23, 2025

The four-bedroom, six-bathroom residence, known as Shore House, features black glass windows across two wings A 6,603-square-foot beachfront home, designed...

Downtown Santa Monica Landmark Faces Uncertainty as Loan Misses Maturity Deadline

June 23, 2025

June 23, 2025

$26.7M Santa Monica Office Loan Moves to Special Servicing Amid Cash Flow Shortfall Morningstar Credit reported that the loan tied...

Santa Monica to Begin AI-Powered Bus Lane Enforcement in July

June 23, 2025

June 23, 2025

The program follows a 45-day pilot conducted earlier this year along Lincoln Boulevard, where 511 potential violations were identified, though...

A.O.C. Brentwood to Close After 16 Years on San Vicente Boulevard

June 22, 2025

June 22, 2025

Chef Goin and Styne Cite Unsustainably High Rent in Decision to Close  A.O.C. Brentwood, the acclaimed Westside outpost from James...

Malibu Traffic Delays Expected: REPORT

June 21, 2025

June 21, 2025

The warning applies to the first weekend of summer Transportation officials are warning travelers on the Pacific Coast Highway through...

Strongman to Pull 34,680-Pound Bus at Santa Monica Pier

June 21, 2025

June 21, 2025

Licis, also the 2022 “Arnold Strongman Classic” champion, will undertake the feat to showcase his strength  Strongman Martins Licis, the...

All Aboard to LAX: Metro Opens Game-Changing Transit Hub Ahead of Global Events

June 20, 2025

June 20, 2025

 New LAX/Metro Transit Center Comes Closer to Connecting Metro Directly to LAX The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro)...

New Leadership at Samohi: Jane Han Named House Principal

June 20, 2025

June 20, 2025

Equity-Focused Educator Joins Samohi Leadership Team By Diana Bouchaaya, SMMUSD Communications Specialist The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District (SMMUSD) Board...

Food Fight on the Venice Boardwalk: Chefs Stand Up for Immigrants with Food

June 20, 2025

June 20, 2025

Turk’s Pizza Party Rallies Top Local Eateries for an Immigrant Rights Fundraiser In a bold display of culinary activism, Turk’s...

Weekend Lane Closures on PCH in Malibu Could Snarl Summer Beach Traffic

June 20, 2025

June 20, 2025

Army Corps Work Triggers Weekend Closure on Pacific Coast Highway Motorists traveling along Pacific Coast Highway this weekend should prepare...