COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KOAA) — From books to coffee, toys, and even wine, Poor Richard's has evolved over five decades to become more than just a business in downtown Colorado Springs.
Richard Skorman started the beloved local institution in 1975 when he was a senior in college, after being paid in books when the store he worked for closed down.
"I was a senior in college. People made their own change. It just kind of evolved over the years. We were lucky to be able to keep expanding," Skorman said.
What began as a tiny shop with a cash box has grown into a community gathering place that has touched generations of Colorado Springs residents.
"Oh gosh, it's just so heartwarming. It really is. It's just, we've had customers some for 50 years. We've had some that grew up as kids playing in our play area, and now they have their own kids," Skorman said.
Patricia Seator, co-owner and Skorman's wife, describes the business's growth as responsive to community needs.
"It's all been very organic… in response to the needs of the community, in response to how world, the world always is changing, right?" Seator said.
For Seator, Poor Richard's became a place to develop leadership skills and mentor others.
"My psych internships didn't teach me nearly as much as owning a business and working with staff and developing teams," she said.
Longtime customer Jeff Haney believes Skorman's impact extends far beyond the store's walls.
"He's done more for this community than any one person I can think of, you know, saving Red Rocks, open space, getting rid of the Drake power plant, being on City Council. And you know, most people like what he's doing, because he's for the community," Haney said.
Even today, Skorman organizes trash pickups across the city, using Poor Richard's as a platform for community engagement.
"I can't tell you how many people have said, you know, my wife and I decided to get married at your place where we met or or we organized this organization, local organization, met here every week. And you think about the things that people have done here that they may not have been able to do in their own living rooms or basements, we feel very proud of that," Skorman said.
The business nearly ended in 1982 when a fire almost destroyed the store. But it was the customers who rallied to rebuild it.
"We were very underinsured, and we had our customers and people in the community build us back u," he said. "We wouldn't be here today without our customers."
Now in their 70s, Skorman and Seator are looking toward the future of Poor Richard's, hoping to find new owners who will preserve its legacy.
"We're hoping to find somebody good out there who wants to take this over. And we hope that they would keep it the same. We're going to be trying to try and be careful who we would sell to," Skorman said.
After 50 years, it's clear that Poor Richard's true product has always been a sense of belonging for the Colorado Springs community.
Colorado woman says Pomeranian mauled to death while under the care of a sitter
Julie Hsieh is calling for justice and accountability after her dog Lumi was reportedly mauled to death by a larger dog while in the care of a sitter.
____
Watch KOAA News5 on your time, anytime with our free streaming app available for your Roku, FireTV, AppleTV and Android TV. Just search KOAA News5, download and start watching.
