San Diego, CA
Fizz & flavor: Downtown San Diego’s lost soda fountains
Before coffee chains and fast-casual counters defined everyday routines, soda fountains were part of the social fabric of downtown San Diego. Behind marble counters and rows of chrome stools, soda jerks worked quickly and precisely, mixing flavored syrups, carbonated water, and ice cream into drinks that were as much about experience as refreshment.
The work was part craft, part performance. Glasses clinked, syrup bottles lined mirrored shelves, and conversations unfolded across counters that served as informal gathering places for neighbors, students, and workers alike.
From the 1920s through the 1950s, soda fountains were woven into the rhythm of downtown life — stops between errands, after-school meeting spots, and casual places where people lingered over malts, sodas, and sundaes.
From pharmacy counters to social spaces
Soda fountains originated in late 19th-century pharmacies, where carbonated water and flavored syrups were first offered as refreshing tonics. Over time, these counters evolved beyond retail service and became informal social spaces embedded in everyday urban life.
By the early 20th century, soda fountains were common fixtures in downtown commercial corridors. They attracted families shopping in nearby stores, office workers on breaks, and teenagers gathering after school.
Historical references indicate that downtown San Diego included a range of soda fountain counters during this period, often operating inside drugstores, lunch counters, and small independent shops.
Downtown favorites and neighborhood counters
Among the establishments documented in historical references and city directory listings was United Soda Fountain, which opened in 1939 and became a steady downtown gathering place known for classic counter service, ice cream sodas, and milkshakes.
Wimer’s Soda Fountain is also referenced in historical accounts as part of the downtown dining landscape, reflecting the broader popularity of small, independently run soda counters that served regular customers by name.
Soda fountains were also commonly integrated into drugstores and neighborhood markets. The Ace Drug Store in Mission Hills, for example, is cited in historical references as a location where malts, egg creams, and simple lunch fare were served alongside pharmacy goods.
On Market Street, Gadson’s Store appears in 1920s and 1930s-era commercial records as part of the downtown retail corridor, combining general merchandise with a soda fountain counter typical of the era.
These establishments reflected a broader pattern in which food service and retail were closely intertwined, and where soda fountains functioned as informal neighborhood anchors.
The sights and sounds of the counter
What defined soda fountains was not just the menu, but the sensory experience.
There was the hiss of carbonation hitting flavored syrup, the rhythmic clink of glassware, and the visual display of colored bottles lined behind mirrored counters. Customers often sat shoulder to shoulder, watching drinks prepared in real time.
Menus typically included chocolate malts, root beer floats, phosphates, and ice cream sundaes topped with whipped cream and cherries. Many soda fountains also served simple food items such as sandwiches, chili, and light lunch plates.
Archival photographs from the San Diego History Center and other historical collections depict these spaces as active social environments, with soda jerks behind counters and customers gathered in close conversation.
The end of an era
By the late 1950s and into the 1960s, soda fountains began to decline as suburban expansion, automobile culture, and national fast-food chains reshaped dining habits across the country.
As retail patterns shifted, many independent drugstores and small lunch counters closed or removed their fountain service entirely. The social role once played by soda fountains gradually moved to diners, drive-ins, and later, chain restaurants.
What remains today are photographs, directory listings, and oral histories that preserve the memory of a downtown culture built around shared counters and informal gathering spaces.
Legacy
Though soda fountains have largely disappeared from the urban landscape, their influence remains visible in the continued popularity of ice cream shops, retro diners, and nostalgic soda-style beverages.
They represent a period in San Diego’s history when a simple drink was not just a transaction, but an invitation to pause, gather, and connect.
Read more history stories here; send an email to Debbiesklar@cox.net
Sources:
San Diego History Center Archives — photographic collections and historical materials documenting soda fountains and early downtown retail environments.
San Diego City Directories (1920s–1950s), San Diego Public Library Special Collections — business listings for drugstores, soda fountains, and lunch counters.
San Diego Union and Evening Tribune Archives (via Newspapers.com and California Digital Newspaper Collection) — advertisements, listings, and commercial references to soda fountains and drugstores.
Library of Congress — historic imagery and documentation of American soda fountains and pharmacy counters.
Smithsonian Institution — historical research on American soda fountains and early 20th-century consumer culture.
City of San Diego Planning Department historic context reports — retail and commercial development patterns in early and mid-century San Diego.
SAN FRANCISCO — This is who the Padres are.
They are eventually. They are find a way.
They are virtually nothing — and then they are what is necessary.
“When it’s time to go, we’re ready to go,” Gavin Sheets said Wednesday afternoon after another typically untypical victory. “And we’ve got guys to do it, and we’ve got guys that are ready in any moment.”
Ty France was the one who encapsulated that ethic in a 5-1 victory over the Giants at Oracle Park.
Sent to the plate as a pinch-hitter with two outs in the seventh inning with one strike against him, France worked the count full and then lofted the seventh pitch he saw down the right field line.
As the ball fell, right fielder Jesus Rodriguez dove to try to make what would have been an inning-ending catch, but the ball bounced off his glove and rolled into the corner.
“I knew I didn’t hit it great, so I was hoping that it was going to get down,” France said. “He made a great effort, and fortunately for me, it kicked away.”
Yes, that is how it has gone for the Padres.
As the ball bounced off the side wall and died in the dirt, two Padres baserunners raced home and France ran all the way to third base.
Some deliberation in the dugout regarding personnel had resulted in France getting late word he would be hitting and his being assessed a strike for a pitch clock violation not of his own doing.
“Great at-bat by Ty,” manager Craig Stammen said. “I don’t know if the manager put him in the greatest position to succeed, but we got him out there and he came through and made me look good.”
That France went up and delivered one of the more clutch at-bats of the season was entirely on brand for the Padres of 2026.
His hit was the third by a Padres substitute that gave them a lead in the final three innings of a game. It provided the edge for the Padres in their 11th victory (of their 22 total) earned in the seventh inning or later. It required some good fortune, and it masked the fact that they had three hits to that point and had the 17th quality start thrown against them in 36 games.
What they don’t do just doesn’t seem to matter. It has so far been outweighed in great measure by what they do.
“We’re a resilient group,” France said. “It’s going to be someone different every day. We’ve got to keep putting good at-bats together. When we do put those big innings together, it’s because we’ve had, one after the other, just consistent, good at-bats.”
So it is that a riddle of a season continued, as the Padres won for the third time in four games. This comes after they lost five times in six games, which came after a 16-3 stretch, which followed a 2-5 start.
Xander Bogaerts, who entered the game at shortstop after France pinch-hit for Sung-Mun Song, hit a two-run homer in the eighth inning.
In all, 69 of the Padres’ 162 runs have been scored after the sixth inning. That is the second most in the major leagues.
They are batting .283 after the sixth inning in games in which they are leading by a run, tied or at least have the tying run on deck. That compares to a .227 batting average in all other situations.
Their formula for Wednesday did vary on the pitching side.
The Padres began the game with an opener for the first time this season, and it worked magnificently.
Bradgley Rodriguez retired the Giants in order in the first inning. Matt Waldron took over and allowed one run on two hits while striking out seven batters in his five innings.
Adrian Morejón began the seventh and allowed one hit over the next two innings before Mason Miller worked a 1-2-3 ninth.
A solo home run for each side — Gavin Sheets into the bay in the fourth inning; Rafael Devers the other way and just over the wall in left field in the fifth — had the game tied 1-1 when France came to bat.
Giants’ starting pitcher Adrian Houser had allowed three hits and walked one while throwing just 73 pitches through six innings.
He appeared to get the first out of the seventh when Fernando Tatis Jr. grounded a ball toward third base, but Matt Chapman had the ball go off his glove and into left field.
With that, Giants manager Tony Vitello went to reliever Keaton Winn, who began his day by walking Ramón Laureano before retiring Nick Castellanos and Freddy Fermin.
With the left-handed-hitting Song due up, Vitello made another change, bringing in left-hander Matt Gage.
The Padres, meanwhile, were trying to figure out how to handle their substitutions, given that France was serving as the backup catcher with Luis Campusano unavailable after fouling a ball off his toe Tuesday, shortstop Xander Bogaerts was getting a day off and various other players not working at their usual positions.
When Gage completed his warm-up pitches quicker than Stammen anticipated, Song walked to the plate and got in the box before France emerged from the dugout.
Home plate umpire Tripp Gibson assessed the Padres a pitch clock violation, and France faced an 0-1 count.
After fouling off successive 2-2 pitches, he watched a ball in the dirt and then went the other way with a fastball left up and in.
“Luckily, Ty is such a pro,” Stammen said, “he went out there and did his job and it worked out for us.”
It has not always. But it has an inordinate amount of the time.
Because that is who the Padres are.
Enter your email and we’ll send a secure one-click link to sign in.
FOX 5 San Diego is provided by Nexstar Media Group, Inc., and uses the My Nexstar sign-in, which works across our media network.
Learn more at nexstar.tv/privacy-policy.
FOX 5 San Diego is provided by Nexstar Media Group, Inc., and uses the My Nexstar sign-in, which works across our media network.
Nexstar Media Group, Inc. is a leading, diversified media company that produces and distributes engaging local and national news, sports, and entertainment content across its television and digital platforms. The My Nexstar sign-in works across the Nexstar network—including The CW, NewsNation, The Hill, and more. Learn more at nexstar.tv/privacy-policy.
Qualcomm has the naming rights as the official circuit partner of NASCAR’s San Diego race on June 19-21, the company said Monday. The 16-turn, 3.4-mile circuit will be the first race to ever take place on an active military base.
Qualcomm joins startup defense contractor Anduril as the other major sponsor of the weekend, with Anduril serving as the title sponsor of the event.
Qualcomm’s commitment to the Coronado race is emblematic. The company has a strong legacy in naval R&D and exponential growth in its automotive business – in the first few months of 2026, Qualcomm’s self-driving car technology has grossed almost $2.5 billion in revenue.
“Qualcomm is synonymous with innovation, and there could not be a more fitting partner to put its name on this groundbreaking circuit,” said Amy Lupo, President of NASCAR San Diego. “The Qualcomm Circuit represents the future of motorsports.”
Qualcomm plans to deploy intelligent computing and advanced connectivity “to elevate the fan experience and team performance throughout NASCAR San Diego Weekend,” the company said in a press release.
Construction of the Qualcomm Circuit begins in late May and will not interfere with day-to-day operations on the military base, said Matt Humphrey, NASCAR’s senior director of track communications.
“Qualcomm Circuit represents the perfect intersection of breakthrough innovation, high-performance competition, and deep community pride,” said Don McGuire, chief marketing officer at Qualcomm. “We’re honored to be part of this groundbreaking venue and bring this historic moment to our hometown.”
Qualcomm did not provide financial details about its naming rights deal.
More details about the event are available on the NASCAR San Diego Weekend website.
-
New York1 hour agoHis DNA Was Taken After His Arrest at an ICE Protest. Now, He’s Suing.
-
Detroit, MI2 hours agoDetroit Grand Prix returns downtown: Speed, sound, and racing action set for May 29–31
-
San Francisco, CA2 hours agoSan Francisco Giants honor Willie Mays with highway designation on what would have been his 95th birthday
-
Dallas, TX2 hours agoBattery case against Dallas Wings guard Arike Ogunbowale closed
-
Miami, FL2 hours agoMiami woman allegedly lured man to luxury condo via Instagram, then robbed him with 2 accomplices
-
Boston, MA2 hours agoDespite progress, Neely and Sweeney say Bruins have a long way to go
-
Denver, CO2 hours agoDenver leaders pitch city as host for 2028 Democratic National Convention
-
Seattle, WA3 hours agoBryan Woo returns to dominance in Seattle Mariners win – Seattle Sports