The Forgotten 24-Hour Sit-Down Chain Once Owned By A Popular Drugstore

Lunch counters — also called luncheonettes — are an ingrained and important part of American history. Their earliest days can be traced back to the 1910s, and these casual dining spots could be found in most five-and-dime stores. In fact, the cheap and cheerful concept is so longed for that luncheonettes are even making a comeback. 

But while many know about the lunch counters that were pivotal for sit-in protests during the American Civil Rights Movement, people are less aware that Walgreens had a separate, standalone restaurant chain called Wag's. This was a 24-hour sit-down spot, with locations across Florida and Illinois.

These days, Wag's seems to be lost to history, but as commenters across Facebook and Reddit have discovered, the former chain may be gone, but it's certainly not forgotten. In one Facebook group called St. Louis' Pictures of the Past, residents share their fond memories. "There was one in Carbondale, IL that we loved," says one commenter. "They had fantastic potato skins."

As former patrons may recall, Wag's locations were all separate, standalone restaurants that were open 24 hours and owned by the Walgreens brand. But despite hazy memories, Wag's definitely differed from the lunch counters, which could be found inside the actual Walgreens stores. Instead, Wag's was more akin to a chain diner.

While some people look back on Wag's fondly, others don't remember it as anything particularly special. "It was like a greasy burger place," says one Reddit commenter on the group r/WalgreensStores. "They had good breakfast... sorta like Denny's. I grew up in Chicago and there were a bunch of them."

Eventually, in 1988, Walgreens sold its 91 Wag's locations to Marriott in an effort to refocus its efforts solely on its drugstore chain. Once acquired, Marriott reportedly converted the former Wag's locations into other restaurants, with many turning into IHOPs that still exist today.