IT'S ANOTHER DAY AT THE HAIRTIQUE STYLING SALON IN PERU INDIANA. PAM POFF'S OWNED HAIRTIQUE FOR ELEVEN YEARS NOW AND IT'S ONE OF THOSE REAL FAMILY PLACES…EVERYBODY KNOWS EVERYBODY ELSE. BUT THE REAL ACTION ON THIS BUSY DAY IS IN THE BACK, OVER THERE UNDER THE JAMES DEAN SIGN. HAIRTIQUE IS THE ONLY BEAUTY SALON IN THE MIDWEST, AS FAR AS WE KNOW, WITH ITS OWN GENUINE 1950'S ERA SODA FOUNTAIN. AND THIS BABY'S NO AFTERTHOUGHT.THE FOUNTAIN'S BEEN RIGHT HERE SINCE BEFORE PAM POFF WAS BORN, BACK WHEN THIS WAS THE BLUE DRUG STORE. BLUE'S WAS ONE OF PERU'S OLDEST BUSINESSES AND WHEN PAM BOUGHT THE PLACE SHE KEPT THE FOUNTAIN GOING.

Pam: I have two customers fight over who's the oldest, one's 86 one's 88 and the one lady always when she gets a perm, she'll know who it is Mary Lavern, she gets a vanilla phosphate.

KAREN CHAPMAN RUNS THE FOUNTAIN, SHE REMEMBERS COMING IN FOR SODAS AS A KID WITH HER MOM. AND THE PLACE IS ALWAYS HUMMING.

Karen: We can have up to 3, 4, 5 people waiting in line depending on what time of the day it is.

FLAVORED COKES ARE THE FOUNTAIN SPECIALTY, LEMON AND CHERRY, ALONG WITH MALTS, MILK SHAKES, PHOSPHATES AND SANDWICHES. AT SIXTY YEARS OF AGE THE FOUNTAIN IS A BIT CRANKY AND A MAINTENANCE NIGHTMARE, BUT PAM SAYS SHE WOULDN'T THINK OF REPLACING IT.

Pam: In the morning's a lot of times, the health board won't like this, but people wait on themselves because if I'm busy they'll go back there so they say it's like a Mayberry RFD..and leave the money on the counter!

THE FOUNTAIN'S NOT A MONEYMAKER BUT AS LONG AS PAM'S IN CHARGE HAIRTIQUE WILL KEEP SERVING UP COLD TREATS ALONGSIDE ITS QUAFFS AND PERMS. SOME ASSETS SHE SAYS, CAN'T BE TALLYED ON A SPREAD SHEET. ERIC OLSON REPORTING OUT IN 'YOUR COUNTRY'.