In Orange, rumors spread faster than a wind-whipped brush fire, especially when it comes to changes in the city’s historic downtown.

That was true earlier this month when residents learned Watson Drugs & Soda Fountain, a local institution, had been sold. On a community Facebook forum, one resident pronounced the permanent closure of the century-old diner. Others ranted of a possible “gastropub” conversion.

“Orange is like Peyton Place except without the sex,” longtime Watson’s owner Scott Parker jokes of the well-intentioned rumormongers.

Indeed, he says, there’s a grain of truth to some of the buzz.

Yes, he is ending a 44-year reign over the nostalgic soda fountain. But don’t fret. Watson Drugs, one of the longest-running businesses in Orange County, is not fading into the sunset.

Parker has sold the nostalgic brand to Bill and Laurie Skeffington of Villa Park. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. They plan to temporarily close the restaurant Aug. 1 as they embark on a floor-to-ceiling makeover. When it reopens it in late summer, it will sport an expanded counter to showcase malt-making “soda jerks” and an enhanced American diner menu.

Period button-tufted booths and chrome-banded tabletops are replacing a hodgepodge of worn furniture.

“We are excited to bring the soda fountain back to its original glory,” said Bill Skeffington, who owns a Santa Ana concrete company, Ben’s Asphalt. “We’re pouring a ton of passion into this joint.”

As for rumors of a bar?

Craft beer is coming, but cocktails sold in a lounge? Nope.

“We’re not going to be a gastropub,” Skeffington said.

The new owners are adding a better variety of beer to stay relevant in Old Towne, which has evolved into a destination food hub in Orange County.

A FRESH TAKE

Bill Skeffington knows something about restaurant revivals.

He and his wife bought Rockwell’s Bakery in Villa Park a few years ago. The north Orange County bakery is known for its elegant cakes and pastries, including its famed white chocolate curl cake. The couple remodeled the bakery and added a bar called The Post. That investment is paying off, as Rockwell’s turned a profit earlier this year.

Skeffington is looking for the same kind of rebirth for Watson’s – adored for its bygone era vibe and setting.

“It’s iconic,” said Jeanne Mansfield, 69, of Orange. “I really hope they (the new owners) keep the same atmosphere.”

Mansfield and her friends meet every Tuesday at the diner to brainstorm fundraising ideas to benefit the Orange County chapter of Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. She says Parker and his servers know everyone’s names and favorite meals.

“It’s like Cheers. You are never a stranger here,” she said.

In 1971, Parker, a pharmacist, invested in the Old Towne Orange soda fountain, originally established as a pharmacy in 1899. The throwback diner – with a patio overlooking the city’s charming Plaza Park roundabout – has been used as a setting for feature films and TV programs including the 1996 Tom Hanks movie, “That Thing You Do.”

It also has served as an unofficial meeting spot for various city groups. Orange’s key historical watchdog group, Old Towne Preservation Association, was formed over breakfast at Watson’s in 1985.

Parker became sole owner in 1986.

To keep the Watson’s legacy alive, Parker said adapting to modern times has been crucial.

“If you don’t change, you become stagnate,” said Parker, who will act as a historical consultant to the new owners for the next two years.

As Old Towne Orange has evolved to incorporate fewer antique shops and more hipster dining, Parker has tried to keep up.

About five years ago, he obtained a beer and wine license.

In 2011, he closed the pharmacy, moving Watson’s clients to a nearby Walgreens where he works part time. He replaced the pharmacy space with a bakery. It sells scratch-made cakes, cookies and cupcakes. Ironically, the cakes look like they come from Rockwell’s, but they are not the same.

In 2012, Parker expanded the restaurant by taking over a closed travel agency next door. He converted the space into a “Made in the USA-themed” gift shop. Part of the space is leased to Front Porch Pops, a gourmet Popsicle shop that will vacate the space once the remodel begins in August.

But over the years, the soda fountain has fallen into disrepair. Red and white vinyl booths are torn. The main dining room is shrouded by a knick-knack gift shop. Mismatched furniture is spread throughout the restaurant.

Parker said very few fixtures or memorabilia like the famed wall of license plates are original to the restaurant.

This year, at age 72, Parker said it was time to pass the torch.

“I just ran out of energy and resources,” he said.

Parker said selling the beloved brand to the Skeffingtons made sense, given their success at revitalizing Rockwell’s. “It fits,” he said.

A PLAN FOR WATSON’S

In an interview earlier this week, the Skeffingtons said they plan to invest thousands of dollars upgrading the interior with fixtures, flooring and furniture that represents a period between the late 1930s and early 1950s.

Floor, wall and ceiling upgrades will include new paint, brick veneers, natural wood tabletops with chrome banding and checkerboard tiles wrapping the soda fountain counter. Tufted vinyl booths will rim the main dining room. Color schemes are leaning toward burgundy hues – a color that matches the backdrop of the old neon “Watson’s Rexall Drug” marquee from years ago.

Skeffington said he’d like to replicate that street sign for the remodel.

As a tribute to the original drugstore, they also plan to add antique apothecary cabinets and drawers in the space where the old pharmacy used to be.

The gift shop will remain, but merchandise will focus more on retro candies and sodas.

“We plan to make our own lemonade, and root beer,” Skeffington said.

The bakery will sell Rockwell’s cakes and baked goods, and will relocate to the Front Porch Pops space, adjacent to the diner.

The counter is expanding into a U-shaped bar where customers can see more blenders for whipping up malts and shakes.

“The soda jerks will be more prominent,” Bill Skeffington said.

The Skeffingtons also are adding taps for craft beer – a fact that has ruffled a few feathers on social media forums. Some locals believe the city has allowed too many bars in Old Towne.

Skeffington said the couple inherited Watson’s existing beer and wine permit. They are not creating a cocktail bar, which would require a different type of liquor license.

Skeffington said he would like to reopen before the Orange International Street Fair, the city’s annual Labor Day weekend food and beer festival.

As for Parker, the changing of the guard brings a sense of relief.

“I feel now like Watson’s will continue long after I’m gone.”

Contact the writer: nluna@ocregister.com