A. Schwab's

A. Schwab's - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

A. Schwab's is the only remaining original business on Beale Street. Their motto is "If you can't find it at A. Schwab's, you don't need it!"

I visited "A. Scwab's" during the Beale Street Music Festival on Saturday. I've been going into Schwab's for a bout a decade now and the store hasn't changed much. The layout is still a shambles, the staff is still surly, and the merchandise is still a hodge-podge of touristy kitche and stuff that might belong in a 1920s dry goods store.

They claim to be a dry goods store but the only non-tourist stuff I picked up on right away was a set of ancient looking water pumps (you know the kind with the handle).

We did notice a huge collection of dried voodoo ingredients in the back of the store; I suppose those might qualify as "dry goods".

Schwab's truly is a landmark. It's unusual to find any business owned by the same person or family on Beale Street for more than a decade. If you have the chance, I recommend dropping by. They're open only during the day, though, so night-owls are left out.

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