Dec 20, 2017
Retailer Spotlight: Poor Richard’s Books & Gifts and Little Richard’s Toy Store

Patricia Seator and Richard Skorman, owners

Richard Skorman and Patricia Seator have been inviting locals and visitors to make themselves at home for more than 40 years. In 1975, while a student at Colorado College, Skorman opened a small used bookstore. He had been collecting books from estate and garage sales. Skorman kept the doors open while at class with a jar on the counter and a sign reading “Please Pay Here.” In 1977, Skorman opened a restaurant and moved the bookstore to its walls. In 1990, Seator moved from Manhattan to join Skorman and together they opened Little Richard’s Toy Store in 1995 and Rico’s Cafe and Wine Bar in 2005.

Seator now runs the retail stores and Skorman the restaurants, which together occupy four connected storefronts. The four businesses are: Poor Richard’s Books and Gifts, Little Richard’s Toy Store, Rico’s Café & Wine Bar and Poor Richard’s Restaurant.

“Our environment is warm, casual and welcoming, allowing our patrons to feel free to lounge and browse,” Seator said.

Located in historic downtown Colorado Springs, the building dates back to 1903. “We are first a bookstore, offering a mile of new and lightly-used books. And we are a destination for greeting cards, journals, and locally-made jewelry and a sure-bet for finding a unique and affordable gift for anyone,” Seator said.

“Local- and Colorado-made, Fair Trade and sustainable products are an emphasis of our store and fit with our business philosophy,” the owners added. The toy store offers educational, classic, sustainably made and cutting-edge toys as well as organic cotton clothing and accessories for babies and young children.

“There are so many aspects to making it all come together synergistically: a good store lay-out, displays that are approachable and interesting, the right product mix that is presented in a way that tells a story, good marketing, and a friendly, professional staff that understands the products and our customers,” Skorman said.

“When our loyal customers tell us that we got it right, it is satisfying to know that we are making a positive contribution to the local community,” Skorman said.




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