▁her bal ▁medic ines ▁that ▁his ▁European ▁customers ▁were ▁already ▁acc ustom ed ▁to . ▁The ▁store ▁had ▁a ▁secondary ▁function ▁as ▁a ▁gather ing ▁place ; ▁it ▁contained ▁comfortable ▁se ating ▁such ▁as ▁le ather ▁ch airs , ▁and ▁allowed ▁pat rons ▁to ▁sit ▁and ▁chat ▁while ▁waiting ▁for ▁their ▁medic inal ▁orders ▁to ▁be ▁prepared . ▁ ▁Furthermore , ▁ph arm ac ists ▁at ▁the ▁Ap othe c ary ▁were ▁mult iling ual ▁and ▁facil itated ▁ease ▁of ▁communication ▁between ▁the ▁employees ▁and ▁the ▁diverse ▁base ▁of ▁customers . ▁ ▁Current ▁ph arm ac ists ▁at ▁the ▁store ▁continue ▁to ▁be ▁able ▁to ▁speak ▁several ▁languages . ▁ ▁The ▁store ▁continued ▁to ▁perform ▁well ▁through ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 s . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 2 , ▁and ▁after ▁three - gener ations ▁of ▁Mer z ▁own ers , ▁then - owner ▁Ralph ▁Mer z ▁sought ▁to ▁ret ire ▁but ▁there ▁was ▁no ▁one ▁in ▁the ▁family ▁to ▁succeed ▁him ▁as ▁owner . ▁ ▁The ▁store ▁was ▁to ▁be ▁closed , ▁but ▁one ▁month ▁before ▁the ▁planned ▁closing , ▁ 2 6 - year - old ▁Pak ist ani ▁ph arm ac ist ▁Abd ul ▁Q ai y um ▁offered ▁to ▁purchase ▁the ▁building ▁and ▁continue ▁to ▁run ▁the ▁business ▁under ▁the ▁same ▁name . ▁Q ai y um ▁moved ▁the ▁store ▁to ▁its ▁present ▁location ▁in ▁the ▁Lincoln ▁Square ▁neighborhood ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 2 , ▁and ▁custom - built ▁the ▁store ▁in ▁style ▁of