After several years of obstacles and fundraising and multiple locations, lifelong friends Isiah Jones and DeShawn King – both of whom graduated from Central High School as well as Northern Kentucky University – finally achieved their goal of opening a pharmacy at 2306 West Market Street, with the intention of serving and providing care for West Louisville residents, including their own family members.
“Anyone can open a bar or restaurant,” said DeShawn. “Being an entrepreneur, I do want to make money but also help people out. The love from city has been nice, and we really feel wanted.
“People say it’s wild that you guys are doing this,” he continued, noting that when a few family members got sick, he realized West Louisville was a pharmacy desert. “Fifteen banks told us no. It was two African American males, with no history, no money.” In early November Good Brothers hosted a Fall Festival, with streets blocked off and which was attended by nearly 500 people, with an appearance by Louisville Mayor Craig Greenburg.
Good Brothers received a $250,000 loan from the West End Opportunity Program (WEOP) Tax Increment Funding (TIF) initiative, along with other sources of fundraising.
Isiah — who hustles a vast array of roles in addition to Good Brothers (where he also currently serves as delivery driver), including substitute teaching at Conway and Johnson Middle Schools, and a mental health community support specialist with Maryhurst –said that in their fraternity at NKU, they were in charge of entertainment, and promoted concerts and picnics, showcasing their entrepreneurial spirit and crowd-pleasing instinct to give back to the community. Isiah is also involved with Louisville native and current NBA basketball player DeAngelo Russell’s foundation, which runs camps and supports community activities like Thanksgiving turkey drives for neighborhood families.
DeShawn said their initial business plan was a cereal café, featuring 40 different kinds of cereal, but COVID happened, prompting a quick pivot. The combination of a business mentor and northern Kentucky pharmacist led them to their current endeavor.
“We didn’t understand what it meant to run a pharmacy,” said DeShawn. “We met another guy who ran a few pharmacy locations in northern Kentucky, he said it was rewarding, lucrative and fulfilling. And without saying he didn’t want the competition, he said ‘maybe try Louisville’.”
DeShawn said after a few timing issues were resolved, in regard to plugging into the all-important insurance pipeline, they are now ready.
“Now that we finally got here, we have to let more people know about us,” he said. “It’s B2B more than B2C…we need more prescriptions, so doctors need to know, also nurses. Anywhere there’s older patients, like my grandparents. That’s the nicest part, helping family.”
The building on Market Street was their fourth location, according to DeShawn, after a few other locations did not work out. But their relationship with Brenda Hyatt of METCO helped them land their current spot. “She was a huge help, very patient with us,” DeShawn said. He also has a background in construction project management with Schulte Hospitality, which came into play with the building’s impressive remodel job. “She spoke on our behalf, and it turned out her friend owned the current building.”
Good Brothers is also staffed by resident pharmacist Dr. Michaela Brooks, also a Louisville native with NKU ties.
“We’re the same as CVS or Kroger,” DeShawn said, adding that there’s no way to compete with them. “But we want to be a better version that, one that’s truly focused on community and family.”
