Green's Pharmacy in Palm Beach - milkshakes, fries and history

 

Green's Pharmacy
151 North County Road
Palm Beach, FL
(561) 832-4443
Luncheonette and pharmacy

https://www.greenspb.com/
Luncheonette open - Monday-Saturday - 7-3; Sunday 7 am- 1 pm
Pharmacy – closed on Sundays

By Jane Feehan

The idle rich, working poor and all kinds in between rub elbows (well, almost) at this Palm Beach institution. Known for its old-fashioned lunch counter and simple dining room, Green’s is remembered as a place John F. Kennedy visited as a kid for lollipops and later for daily breakfast.

Opened in 1938 by brothers Bob and Murray Green, the Palm Beach 82-seat luncheonette continues to host diners who appreciate its good food, reasonable prices and lively atmosphere. Many also appreciate its history.

For some, walking into a place JFK frequented is reason enough for a visit. Kennedy and brother Bobby breakfasted there frequently as adults. JFK continued to visit the luncheonette as President and remained on first-name status with the owners. There were other famous faces at Green’s. In 1986, co-founder Bob Green told a reporter that Bob Hope, Big Crosby and Ginger Rogers had also been among the famous who stopped by for a meal or purchase.

Bob Green sold the business to Cunningham Drugs in 1986, a few years after brother Murray died. Since that sale, Green’s has been bought and sold a number of times. Bob Green passed away in 1990, but Green’s retains much of its original ambiance, including classic luncheonette fare and its pharmacy.

There are not many lunch counters around like Green’s where history is served with a milk shake, egg cream, malted, or a grilled cheese and tomato sandwich. 

Copyright © 2022 All rights reserved. Jane Feehan

Tags: Historic places Palm Beach, breakfast in Palm Beach, lunch in Palm Beach, JFK, Palm Beach history, Palm Beach restaurants

Busy at 12:30

Sources:

Palm Beach Daily News Jan. 4, 1986

Palm Beach Daily News, May 23, 1993

Sun-Sentinel May 4, 1990

Tags: history of Palm Beach, Palm Beach history

JFK, the Cuba Missile Crisis and a Florida bunker at Peanut Island

Peanut Island at left, background; Palm Beach
across lagoon. Boat rental c. 1938 in Riviera Beach
Florida State Archives

Peanut Island

6500 Peanut Island Road

Riviera Beach, FL

561-845-4445

http://www.pbcgov.com/parks/peanutisland/

Sail Fish Marina (Palm Beach Shores) tours and shuttle service

https://www.sailfishmarina.com/water-taxi/

By Jane Feehan

Today a county park, Peanut Island literally rose from a 1918 Port of Palm Beach dredging project. The mission was to create Lake Worth Inlet, a shipping channel.  Discarded materials from Lake Worth formed a 10-acre “island” or spoil site.  Ownership and use of the island has been the subject of controversy over the years. The name was attached when Florida gave permission to use the site as a terminal for shipping peanut oil. The plan was abandoned in the 1940s but the name remained.

Of humble beginnings, Peanut Island boasts some lofty history.

The US Coast Guard opened a station on the island in 1936. President John F. Kennedy anchored his yacht,  Honey Fitz, at the station when he visited nearby Palm Beach.  During the 1961 Cuban Missile Crisis, US Navy Seabees built a small bunker on Peanut Island to be used as the nation's command center if the crisis forced Kennedy and his family to seek shelter while visiting the "Winter White House."  After the president was assassinated, some officials suggested renaming the island to honor Kennedy. The motion failed.

JFK delivering ultimatum to USSR
Florida State Archives/

Additional dredging expanded the island to 80 acres during the 1990s. Today, boaters dock at Peanut Island to picnic, take tours of the Palm Beach Maritime Museum (the old Coast Guard station) or to hike. Terms of the lease set by the Port of Palm Beach reserve the right to use the island for inlet and port maintenance and to deposit additional dredged materials.

Shuttle service (for a fee) to the island is offered at Sailfish Marina, 561-683-8294. For county park information, call 561-845-4445.  

Sources:

Palm Beach Post, Dec. 9, 1963.

Palm Beach County History Online at: https://pbchistory.org/

http://www.pbcgov.com/parks/peanutisland/

Tags: Palm Beach County history, Palm Beach County parks, Sailfish Marina, history of Florida, JFK, Peanut Island, Cuba Missile crisis