Charlotte booksellers

Sheri and Bryan Borges blend literature and commerce for an artful life

Toni Morrison once said, “If there’s a book you really want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.” It’s a sentiment that former New Yorkers Sheri and Bryan Borges have not only taken to heart, but put into motion in the form of their family-owned-and-operated business, Poor Richard’s Book Shoppe, located in Charlotte’s historic Brevard Court. With booksellers big and small crumbling in the face of increasingly ubiquitous electronic readers such as Kindle and Nook, it might seem counterintuitive to launch a brick-and-mortar bookstore in today’s techno-centric landscape, but for Sheri and Bryan, books are only the beginning of the story.

Over the past several years, the couple found themselves increasingly at odds with corporate America. “We’d never been happy working for someone else, or having someone else determine what the value of our work is,” notes Bryan. In 2009, with two boys graduating college and facing bleak job prospects in a tough economy, they decided to take the family’s destiny in hand and create a business to which everyone could contribute.

Savvy marketers (Sheri spent several years in the trenches stewarding high-dollar marketing initiatives for IBM, while Bryan earned his stripes with Wachovia prior to the Wells Fargo merger), the Borges envisioned Poor Richard’s as not only a place to purchase literature, but a true destination for all the arts. With décor reminiscent of a well-appointed living room – complete with contemporary paintings courtesy of a cadre of talented local artists – Poor Richard’s vibe feels akin to a hip, updated 19th-century literary salon. “It’s an infusion of everything that we were essentially missing in our daily lives,” Bryan explains.

Poor Richard’s is home to a diverse roster of events. The first Friday evening of each month is reserved for “The Art of Spoken Word,” a collaborative performance encompassing spoken word, music and live painting. On the remaining Friday nights, look for Concrete Open Mic. “It’s open to all the arts,” Sheri says, “poetry, music, comedy, dance, storytelling – as long as it’s not going to burn the place down, pretty much anything goes.” There’s also a meditation series on Saturdays, and Naked Arts, an intimate concert series showcasing original music from all over the country.

And yes, there are books. The inventory comprises mostly used books from a cross-section of genres, as well as rarities and antiques. New books are typically those of local authors who’ve come in for Poor Richard’s “Meet the Author” series (during the Democratic National Convention, Jeffery Deever made an appearance). “We’re not limited to what’s on the shelves,” Bryan adds. Poor Richard’s maintains an Internet storefront, www.prbookshoppe.com, from which customers can access 3 million titles, including those hard to find or out of print.

All of this is cannily promoted with a conscientiously updated social media campaign, which the Borgeses firmly consider critical to the success of any new venture, but Bryan and Sheri believe the most important aspect of any business is passion. “We’re just doing the things we love,” says Sheri. “What we were taught by our parents – and what we’ve tried to teach our kids – is that if you can’t find it, make it yourselves. It’s all about following your dreams. If it’s your passion, make something out of it.” With a growing and devoted clientele, plus future plans that include partnering with local schools for youth-oriented events, and the addition of a bar to round out Poor Richard’s convivial evening ambience, the Borges’ narrative seems a tale destined for a happy ending.