Soda Fountain lives on in Tower Building

By Warren Black

In the center of the State Fair of Texas (Fair) sits the Tower Building and, in the heart of the Tower Building’s air-conditioned comfort and ample seating area, are 28 extraordinary food vendors in a large food court. With all the attention on the outside vendors, these inside vendors could be overlooked. That would be a big mistake. In the heart of the food court is a Dallas legend. The Highland Park Pharmacy’s Old-Fashioned Soda Fountain (The Fountain) lives on at the Fair. 

The Fountain opened a vendor stand in the Tower Building in 2012 serving their famous menu. Their grilled cheese, pimento cheese, tuna melt and, of course, their famous chicken salad are all still staples at the Fair booth as well as everyone’s favorites: milkshakes and malts. It’s one of the only places anywhere to still get a classic, authentic chocolate ice cream soda. The Fountain waited on the list for 11 years for the opportunity to be in the Fair.

Opening originally in 1912 and moving in 1923 to Knox Street in Dallas, The Fountain occupied that main location until 2018 (almost 100 years). The family run pharmacy was famous for its old-style soda fountain. The pharmacy went through three family ownerships throughout the years with pharmacist Thell Bowlin in the back filling prescriptions until he finally retired in 2016. The location continued as a soda fountain until it finally closed in 2018 to make way for a new, high-rise development. Part of the Fountain’s legend still lives on at the old location with the current tenant, Mister Charles restaurant, proudly serving a tribute to the old soda fountain with a dessert named the “Soda Fountain Sunday.” 

The Fountain’s current owner is Michelle Edwards, niece to Gretchen Minyard Williams and JL ‘Sonny’ Williams (Yes, those Minyard’s, who started Minyard’s, Sack and Save and Carnival Food Stores.) who bought the business in 2004. 

The Fountain was something many Dallasites looked forward to visiting whenever possible, usually when out with their mom or dad on a Saturday afternoon after shopping at Weirs Furniture or Froggies Toys. Until they closed the actual pharmacy, the store still had in-house charge accounts. It served many well-known Dallasites, like Jerry Jones and the George W. Bush’s, throughout the years. 

In 2019, Edwards entered the highly acclaimed Big Tex Choice Awards. 

She created the Peanut Butter Cup Snookie — a Reese’s® Peanut Butter Cup stuffed cookie topped with Blue Bell® Homemade Vanilla ice cream, which captured her a Top 5 award and is still on the menu and one of the Fountain’s top sellers. Edwards’ entries have been in the semi-finals or finals every year since. 

This year, she had two contest entries, and they were both Elvis themed. The “All Shook Up” is a Peanut Butter and Blue Bell® Banana Pudding Ice cream milkshake topped with real bacon crumbles, caramel and Nutter Butter Cookie®. 

The second entry is Homemade Banana Jam Sandwich with sliced bacon and crushed Ruffles®. 

Coming back this year by popular demand is The Fountain’s throwback Texas Choice Award winner from the past: the Texas “Pumpkin Poke Cake” and the “The Texas Twosome” — Grilled Cheese with Frito Pie and “The Hammy Pimento Melt Down” — a grilled ham and pimento cheese. Edwards’ son, Jayce Edwards, manages the stand now but people can still find her there on the weekends and most evenings because, as with most of the people out at the Fair, it is not just a job but a passion. 

The Fountain offers 103 years of Dallas tradition waiting to be tasted at the Fair. 

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