Talk about a cafeteria plan.

CVS Pharmacy, a chain of 6,200 stores in 43 states, is poised to open its first Lawrence store at the site of a former Furr’s Cafeteria, at the southeastern corner of 23rd and Iowa streets.

The cafeteria building – shuttered since 2002, after Furr’s occupied it for 19 years – was destroyed Wednesday by demolition crews from R.D. Johnson Excavating. Crews plan to finish the job today, then spend the next two or three weeks preparing the 2.76-acre site for construction.

“It’s pretty basic,” said Roger Johnson, who owns the contracting firm.

The work keeps CVS on track for a November opening of the new 13,000-square-foot store, which will include a drive-through pharmacy, photo center, beauty supplies, vitamins and other products. The full-line pharmacy will include all the traditional services for customers, whether it’s filling simple prescriptions or helping navigate employers’ so-called cafeteria plans. The company says it handles one out of every seven retail prescriptions filled nationwide, and about one of every five within communities with CVS stores.

“We’re looking forward to serving the Lawrence community,” said Mike DeAngelis, a CVS spokesman.

CVS, based in Woonsocket, R.I., plans to add 250 stores nationwide this year, DeAngelis said.

The CVS in Lawrence will have 25 to 30 employees, he said.