Thrifty Drug Stores are no longer part of the Southern California landscape, but the ice cream still is. Thrifty Ice Cream, a beloved El Monte-based brand served in Rite Aid stores. The ice cream’s famous cylinder-shaped scoops were first sold in Thrifty drug stores for decades.Rite Aid bought Thrifty in the mid-1990s, and kept the scoop shops inside many drug stores, including those in Southern California. It’s biggest fans are those who recall buying a single scoop for as low as 5 or 10 cents in the 1970s and 1980
s.Even today, the ice cream is inexpensive compared to rivals. A single scoop costs $1.29, while a triple scoop is $2.49.
“Thrifty’s ice cream is by far the best,” one reader wrote. “And you can’t beat the price.”
And apparently you can’t beat the taste. The Thrifty's that was on Amar Rd. in La Puente is where my memories are... I miss Thrifty's. The photo below is the old Thrifty's at the West Covina Fashion Plaza in the 1950's, photo by Clifford O'Brien.
