Historic Pelot’s Rexall Pharmacy Closes After More Than 130 Years in Downtown Bradenton
A longtime fixture of downtown Bradenton has closed its doors after serving the community for more than a century. Pelot’s Rexall Pharmacy ended operations this week, bringing to a close one of the city’s oldest continuously operating businesses.
The pharmacy had been located in the Davis Building at the corner of Manatee Avenue and Ninth Street East since 1934, though the business itself traces its roots back to the late 1800s. Over the decades, it remained a family-run establishment and became a familiar destination for generations of local residents.
Owner Robert Pelot, a lifelong Bradenton resident and University of Florida pharmacy graduate, took over the business after purchasing it from his father, John Crews Pelot, in 1970. The two worked together at the pharmacy until Crews Pelot retired in 2000 at the age of 99. Since then, Robert Pelot continued operating the business on his own.
The Pelot family’s connection to the pharmacy dates back to the late 19th century, when Pelot’s great-grandfather acquired the business before his death during a yellow fever outbreak in the 1880s. Family members continued running the store through the decades that followed, helping establish it as a trusted community institution.
The building that housed the pharmacy was listed for sale in 2025, and the closure marks the end of a long chapter in Bradenton’s downtown history.
Pelot said the decision to close was made so he could spend more time with his family. Prescriptions from the pharmacy are being transferred to a nearby Walgreens location to help customers transition to a new provider.
For many longtime customers, the closing represents the loss of a local landmark that stood through generations of change in the city. The pharmacy was widely known not only for its services but also for the personal connections formed between staff and the community over more than 130 years of operation.
