Poor Richard's

I can't believe I haven't blogged in depth about Poor Richard's yet! Anyone who's a longtime Springs resident like me is probably very fond of this place. I first discovered PR's, as it's affectionately known, around 1983. It was a great place for a college student to hang out. Not only was it an eclectic, eco-friendly, funky restaurant/artspace serving healthy food, it was like your home away from home: you could spend entire days there reading, goofing off with your friends, or cutting class ;o) Poor Richard's was also a cinema at night, showing foreign and cult films that you couldn't see anywhere else. I saw some great punk films (like D.O.A., the Decline of Western Civilization, and Repo Man) during those years. I also got my fill of classic French and Italian cinema, and offerings by the likes of Hitchcock and other great filmmakers. Those were some good times.

Over the years Poor Richard's evolved and was even sold in the 90's, but it was eventually bought back by its original owner, Richard Skorman, who turned it into a family-friendly pizza restaurant. It still retains its funky, eclectic charm, it still serves the same favorites from the old days (my personal faves are the beans & rice and the nachos), and the walls are still covered with local art. The pizzas are actually healthy, if you can believe that, and the sandwiches and soups are wonderful. With the exception of adding pizza to the list, they haven't really changed their menu in years and I'm happy for that!

The great thing about Poor Richard's is that it isn't just a restaurant. Mr. Skorman added Poor Richard's Bookstore next door early in the game; then came a funky toy store called Little Richard's -- best place in town to buy trinkets for the kids (the non-battery-operated kind). The latest addition to the Poor Richard's complex is Rico's Coffee and Wine Bar, a hip place to grab a cappuccino and listen to some live acoustic music while enjoying a great menu. The wine list there is impressive and it's a very popular hangout any night of the week. As for me, I am still a devoted, regular customer of all of Mr. Skorman's establishments after all these years.

I think Poor Richard's and its companion businesses are a great example of home town entrepreneurship. Richard Skorman himself, besides being a successful and conscientious businessman, has also been very involved in city government for many years; he served on city council for quite a while, then was our vice mayor. He helped create TOPS, the Trails and Open Space fund, which buys land and ensures that it remains undeveloped (gasp!), so we Colorado Springs residents can enjoy the great outdoors. TOPS is one of the things that makes our city so wonderful.

I'm happy to report that Mr. Skorman has just announced that he'll be running for mayor in April. I know he already has huge support. The people of Colorado Springs love him. He's going to make a great mayor!