SEYMOUR – The family-owned Valley Pharmacy, which planted roots in Derby three years ago, is opening a second location in the space that was home to Seybridge Pharmacy for nearly 40 years.
Valley Pharmacy owner/pharmacist William Zaleha told the Valley Indy Thursday (Aug. 7) that he and his wife, Jodi, expect to open the Seymour location this fall, just in time for flu shot season.
The original Valley Pharmacy located in the Pershing Shopping Center at 74 Pershing Dr., Derby, which opened in 2022, will remain open with the same staff.
“We had been considering opening a second location and looked into other towns like Orange, Naugatuck and Southbury,” Zaleha said. “But when we saw that Seybridge Pharmacy was closing, we saw it as a good opportunity to go where there had already been a well-established pharmacy, instead of starting from scratch.”
Seybridge Pharmacy, which was located in the Seybridge Plaza at 37 New Road (Route 67), closed on May 17. For nearly 40 years, the pharmacy was run by its original owners Peter and Doreen Przybylsk, who retired and sold the business last year to Tejal and Harsh Patel, of New York.
The business closed about a year after the sale.
Seybridge Pharmacy was a beloved staple in Seymour and the Valley, known for its old-fashioned, mom and pop-style customer service and unique selection of specialty gifts and jewelry.
Under the new ownership, customers complained about shoddy service and issues delivering medication to customers’ houses. A former Seybridge employee said the business was being poorly managed, and that the new owners failed to intervene until it was too late.
The Patels had sent the Valley Indy a statement saying owning and operating the business from out-of-state proved too challenging.
Zaleha said he reached out to Peter Przybylsk, the former Seybridge owner/pharmacist, after the pharmacy closed.
“In talking with Peter and Doreen, we decided to go forward with it and took over the space on June 1,” Zaleha said.
Zaleha will be leasing the space in the plaza, which is also home to other small businesses including Dunkin Donuts, Hot Tamale Mexican Grill & Bar, Rejoice Dispensary and Seymour Veterinary Hospital.
Zaleha said the 3,400-square-foot space is being remodeled, with new flooring, ceiling and walls being installed. He said the Seymour store will be modeled after the Derby location, which features a clean, minimal look with warm, wood-like flooring and shelving units that line the walls with everyday health and beauty products
The Seymour store, like Derby, will offer a full pharmacy, vaccines, over-the-counter items, specialty gifts like locally made candles and honey, and, of course, the Oxford-based Rich Farms’ pints of ice cream (without the big lines).
“It’s exciting and nerve-wracking at the same time, and it’s very heart-warming to see the great response we’re getting from the community,” Zaleha said of opening a second location.
Zaleha said he and his wife, who is a registered nurse, will continue to work out of the Derby store, and new staff will be hired to run the Seymour store. Zaleha said he already reached out to some of his former colleagues in the pharmacy world, who are excited to come onboard.
Zaleha and his wife Jodi, who are 2004 graduates of Derby High School, had a dream of opening their own hometown pharmacy. Zaleha, a licensed pharmacist who earned his degree from the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences in Boston, previously worked for CVS for 18 years. Jodi Zaleha, an R.N., previously worked as the district nurse for Oxford public schools.
The Zalehas, who are parents to three boys, ages 10, 8 and 5, said the experience is like night-and-day for customers of an independent pharmacy versus the big corporate chains.
“It’s all about the personal touch, it’s like one big family here,” Zaleha said. “We look forward to serving more of the community and expanding our coverage.”
Seymour First Selectwoman Annmarie Drugonis is excited to welcome Valley Pharmacy to Seymour.
“Valley Pharmacy coming to Seymour is an excellent fit in the Seybridge Plaza,” Drugonis said “They’re a small, family-owned business and that is what Seymour is all about – the mom and pops, the small businesses that make Seymour unique.”
The Seymour Valley Pharmacy, once open, will be open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday-Friday; 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday.