When Dr. Benjamin McNabb was 16 years old, he started working at Eastland Drug Company, and through his experience working for this local business, he decided to attend college to become a pharmacist. After graduating from The University of Texas at Austin with his Doctor of Pharmacy degree, Ben returned to Eastland to purchase his hometown pharmacy out of the love for his community. This July, Ben and his wife Heather bought Eastland Drug Company, The Gold Lantern, and Francie’s Fountain and Deli. Since then, they have been excited to share their love for the community by putting in place new, innovative services to benefit the customers and the people of Eastland County. One goal for the business is to expand the pharmacy’s services to other parts of the county and region including Ranger, Cisco, and the Big Country. In order to express their love for the people of Eastland County and to reach others regionally, Ben and Heather are choosing to unify the soda fountain, The Gold Lantern, and Eastland Drug Company by naming the business: Love Oak.
The name, Love Oak, originated when the owners, Ben and Heather McNabb, were married in July of 2012. Instead of using the traditional unity candle during the ceremony, Ben and Heather decided to use a sapling live oak tree to symbolize their union. Soil was collected from three important locations: Ben’s childhood home in Eastland, TX, Heather’s childhood home in Deer Park, TX, and the place where they fell in love, The University of Texas at Austin. During the wedding ceremony, the young oak tree was planted with all three soils to symbolize their pasts and how it established a foundation for their future life together. This little live oak tree represents Ben and Heather’s commitment and love for each other. Just as the live oak grows bigger and stronger each day so will the love that they share. This is not any ordinary live oak; it is Ben and Heather’s Love Oak.
By naming Eastland Drug Company, Love Oak Pharmacy, they are sharing their desire to have a personal connection with their customers. Ben said, “We care about our community. We have a deep personal connection with it. We feel our new Love Oak brand expresses our personality, and our desire to love, serve, and care for our neighbors.”
Look out for more information next week about the many new services coming from Love Oak.
