Richard Skorman / Patricia Seator - Community at the Heart of Commerce

From College Student to Community Institution
Richard Skorman's entrepreneurial journey began in 1975 during his senior year at Colorado College. Working at a local bookstore that went out of business, he was paid in books instead of cash—a seemingly unfortunate circumstance that sparked the beginning of Poor Richard's Bookstore. "I bought ammunition cases from Army Surplus for $.29 each as my bookshelves and I piled them all together on cinder blocks," Richard recalls. "I would go to class with a cash box that had a sign saying, 'make your own change, write down what you bought and make sure to pay your sales tax. He left a legal pad, the sales tax chart and a calculator for his customers to serve themselves. Richard's background had prepared him well for retail entrepreneurship. He grew up working in his family's business—Miracle Mart, the first discount store in the United States, founded by his grandfather, father, and uncles in Akron, Ohio. Their innovative approach to retail would later influence Sam Walton, who visited to learn their methods before launching Walmart. While at Colorado College, Richard's creative interests led him to become an art studio major, focusing on cartoons and drawings. This artistic foundation would later extend to film, as he operated a 55-seat movie ART theater FOR 10 YEARS and became a film critic for the Colorado Springs Sun and the Fort Collins Coloradoan.

The New York Chapter: Finding a Life and Business Partner
Richard's path took a significant turn when he moved to New York City in the early 1980s. After losing his job as a film critic, Richard secured a book contract to write a guide to art films JUST being released on video called “Off Hollywood Movies”. During this period, he temporarily sold his restaurant to employees while continuing to run the movie theater and bookstore remotely. In New York, fate introduced him to Patricia Seator, a woman whose professional background and personal values would perfectly complement his own. "Patricia was my movie buddy, and we always agreed on movies, and lo and behold, we got romantic," Richard shares with affection. Patricia brought substantial experience as a PhD psychologist and having her Masters in Community Arts. Her deep understanding of child development and community needs would later influence key aspects of their business development. After three years in New York, Richard and Patricia made the decision to return to Colorado Springs together, bringing with them new ideas for creating a toy stor and expanding the bookstore into a book and gift store. He also added New York-style pizza that would become a signature offering at Poor Richard's Restaurant.

Evolution and Expansion: Building a Community Hub
Together What began as Richard's simple bookstore gradually evolved into a multipurpose community space under the combined leadership of Richard and Patricia. The business expanded organically, adding a restaurant, expanding the bookstore to include gifts and cards, and eventually adding an educational toy store and a cafe and wine bar with events and nightly music. This expansion reflected the complementary visions and skills of both partners. Richard's culinary interests and retail background drove the restaurant and initial bookstore development, while Patricia's expertise in child psychology and community arts heavily influenced the huge selection of inexpensive gifts and cards and the toy store's focus on hands-on learning toys. Their division of responsibilities played to each partner's strengths: Patricia as a merchant and Richard as a restaurant person. This arrangement allowed each business component to receive specialized attention while maintaining a cohesive overall vision. Together, they created a space where "everybody was welcome." Rather than focusing solely on profit, Richard and Patricia designed spaces where people could gather without pressure to purchase. "We encourage groups to come and meet. They don't have to buy anything. If they do, that's great. But if they don't, that's fine." Under Patricia's guidance, the toy store specialized in interactive toys rather than electronic options. "In the toy store we really wanted to focus on interactive toys that kids had to use their imagination with," Richard notes, reflecting a philosophy shaped by both his and Patricia's beliefs about childhood development.

Facing Adversity: The Fire and Beyond
Like many entrepreneurial journeys, Richard and Patricia's path included significant challenges. Perhaps the most dramatic came in 1982 when an arsonist set fire to Poor Richard's. "I lost everything overnight," Richard recalls. "Probably at least a $300,000 claim and 12 employees that didn't have work overnight." This crisis revealed the deep community bonds Richard had built. "People in the community were so supportive. People were just coming in droves, coming by, what can I do to help?" After Richard and Patricia established their partnership, they faced other challenges together. During the Amendment 2 era in Colorado, when LGBTQ+ rights were contested, Poor Richard's faced backlash for its inclusive stance. "We were one of the few places to be LGBTQ+ friendly... and because of it, we were a target," Richard explains. "Death (threats) and bomb threats were common. We had people standing outside with crosses, bricks thrown through our windows, and swastikas painted on the bathroom walls." Competition presented another challenge the couple navigated together.

Community Service:
Responding to Crises as a Team What truly distinguishes Richard and Patricia's entrepreneurial story is how their business responded during community crises. These moments of service transformed Poor Richard's from a commercial enterprise into a vital community institution. In 2005, as Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast, evacuees began arriving in Colorado Springs with nothing. Richard and Patricia, who were planning to open their cafe at the time, pivoted to create an impromptu relief organization. "We created this organization basically overnight that brought... about 2000 from the Gulf Coast by sending busses down to the area and bringing up evacuees. Richard recalls. "Nobody stayed in a shelter. They all had places to live with all their needs met.” During the Waldo Canyon and Black Forest fires, Richard and Patricia turned Poor Richard's into a respite center for evacuees and first responders. Similarly, during the government shutdown of 2018, the couple offered free meals to ANY government workers and their families. These crisis responses exemplify Richard and Patricia's shared approach to business as a vehicle for community service. Rather than viewing these efforts as charity separate from business operations, they integrated service directly into their business model.

Business Philosophy: Quality, Accessibility, and Community
Throughout their entrepreneurial journey, Richard and Patricia have developed a distinctive business philosophy centered on three core principles: quality, accessibility, and community engagement. Quality forms the foundation of each business component. In the restaurant, it means made-from-scratch, healthy foods. In the bookstore and toy store, it means carefully selected merchandise that meets specific criteria rather than simply maximizing profit margins. Accessibility is equally important to both partners. By combining new and used books and keeping gift items affordable, Richard and Patricia ensure that economic constraints don't prevent community members from enjoying what Poor Richard's offers. "In the bookstore, we combine new and used, so we know that people can't always afford brand-new books, but we trade and we buy books." The intentional absence of table service in the restaurant creates an environment where customers feel comfortable lingering without pressure to order more. "We intentionally made it that way," Richard explains. "We didn't want to have table service because we didn't want people to feel uncomfortable if they were here for three or four hours, studying, resting or plotting.” Community engagement completes this philosophy. Richard and Patricia actively encourage community use of their spaces, hosting meetings, classes, and gatherings without requiring purchases.

Challenging Conventional Success
Richard and Patricia's entrepreneurial journey challenges conventional definitions of business success. Rather than pursuing unlimited growth or maximizing profit, they have prioritized depth of impact and community connection. "My personal definition of success changed," Richard reflects. “I was taught as a kid that to be successful in business, you had to open many stores, but we realized that by having one location that you can call home, knowing your customers and having long-term employees that you trust, is a much better work life balance for Patricia and me. This revised definition led the couple to decline opportunities for expansion. "We were asked to expand. We were asked to go up to UCCS, and we were asked to be other places, but we just said, no, we like it here. Bigger isn't always better." By focusing on a single location with multiple integrated components, Richard and Patricia created deeper connections with their community and maintained direct involvement in daily operations.

Looking Forward: The Legacy Continues
After 50 years, Richard and Patricia continue to evolve their business while maintaining their core values. Their approach to legacy involves supporting future entrepreneurs rather than protecting market share. "If somebody comes and visits and says they're going to open something, Patricia and I will sit down with them and tell them all we know," Richard explains. This generous knowledge-sharing extends even to potential competitors. "Even if it's another pizza restaurant two blocks away, we are friends with them," Richard notes, explaining that businesses can refer customers to each other rather than viewing every similar establishment as a threat.

As Richard and Patricia reflect on their entrepreneurial journey, they express profound gratitude for the opportunity to create a business that aligns with their values and serves their community: "I can't tell you how many mothers have thanked us... 'It's just there's no other place to go to get out of the house. I'll bring my computer down that the kids can play, read children’s books or use the crayons to make art. It's just like a lifesaver for me.'" This gratitude—flowing both from Richard and Patricia to their community and from the community back to them—forms the foundation of a business success story that transcends conventional metrics. After 50 years, Poor Richard's stands as testimony to the power of entrepreneurship rooted in community values, genuine human connection, and partnership based on shared purpose and complementary strengths.