Benton City gets its first pharmacy

BENTON CITY -- To be able to finally own a business makes Hedayatullah Jalalyar happy. But serving a community ignored by large chain-store pharmacies makes him even happier.

The Afghan native who lives in West Richland recently opened Logar Pharmacy in downtown Benton City. That means residents won't have to drive to the Tri-Cities to fill their prescriptions, said Jalalyar, who previously worked as a pharmacist for Walgreens and Rite Aid.

Jalalyar said he offers competitive pricing and personalized customer service. Compared with bigger pharmacies, his overhead and profit margins are lower, he said.

The name Logar is short for "low-price guaranteed prescription," Jalalyar said. The "r" is short for "Rx," the symbol for prescription, he explained.

Logar also means a big mountain in Pashto, a language spoken in Afghanistan and northwestern Pakistan, he said.

The pharmacy, housed in a building owned by the Port of Benton, fulfills a long-standing need in the community, said John Haakenson of the Port of Benton.

The port gave Jalalyar a deal on the monthly rent for the 1,830-square-foot space in the redesigned historic building at 515 Ninth St. in downtown Benton City.

The other part of the building is occupied by Sew Me Pretty & Clothing Consignment Boutique, said Haakenson, director of airports and operations.

Randy Rutledge, Benton City Economic Development Council coordinator, sees the pharmacy as part of the ongoing revitalization efforts in the city. At least 20 new businesses have opened since early 2009, he said. "That gives us a downtown core."

The new pharmacy is a huge convenience for all with no more driving or wasting time waiting in a big store to get prescriptions filled, he said. It will encourage local shopping, said Rutledge, who worked with Jalalyar on a business plan.

Benton City's population is a little over 3,000 and its market base including the school district is about 10,000 to 12,000 people, Rutledge said. The median income for a family of four is about $43,000 a year.

Years ago, Benton City had a pharmacy, which operated from the same location, Rutledge said, adding he doesn't know why it shut down.

Last December, when Jalalyar showed an interest in starting his pharmacy business, Rutledge helped him get information and connect with the right people.

Everyone was very helpful, said Jalalyar, who has invested about $150,000, the bulk from his savings.

"I didn't want to take out a loan." As a Muslim, he is not supposed to pay interest, he said.

Even his wholesale supplier has agreed to a temporary installment payment plan to help him out, he said.

"He's a honest, hardworking guy," Haakenson said. The community wants him to be successful, he said. The Port of Benton is also helping him with marketing efforts, Haakenson said.

The store will have a grand opening at 10 a.m. Sept. 14.

Store hours are from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information, call 509-588-8600.

w Pratik Joshi: 582-1541; pjoshi@tricityherald.com