We'll try to find a spare sunbeam.
No Richard
Countless people have asked if my last name was ‘Richard’. Variations: ‘Who’s Richard?’ ‘Where’s Richard?’ and ‘Is your husband Richard?’ Ladies and gentlemen, there is no Richard. We named the store for Ben Franklin’s Poor Richard’s Almanack, then doubled down on the clever with ‘Pour’ instead of ‘Poor’.
Why would we do this? Because the town of Franklin, originally planned as Exeter, is named in honor of Benjamin Franklin, the great statesman/scientist/publisher/inventor/entrepreneur. Franklin famously contributed 116 books from his personal collection to the Franklin Library. He declined to donate the requested funds for a bell tower, but the townspeople-either content with the books, impressed with the old statesman’s career, or both-settled on ‘Franklin’ instead.
It would be difficult to be un-impressed with Franklin’s career. At various times, Ben Franklin was an author, publisher, postmaster, scientist, inventor (the lightning rod and the Franklin stove, among others), university president, political theorist, Freemason, and diplomat. Even spread over 84+ years, that’s extraordinary.
Poor Richard’s Almanack, which he wrote and published yearly from 1732 to 1758, had an average print run of 10,000 copies. A compendium of seasonal weather forecasts, humor, household tips, puzzles, and other useful articles, the Almanack also featured witty aphorisms, frequently about the values of thrift and industry.
Many of these phrases survive to this day. “Beware of little expenses; a small leak will sink a great ship.” And ‘A penny saved is a penny earned’. But also ‘Wine makes daily living easier, less hurried, with fewer tensions and more tolerance.’ Wine+ thrift? I’ll bet Franklin would have LOVED Pennywise.
Think of it. A few dozen good wines. Open for tasting, so you can decide what you like. And all priced 20-70% off original retail. We’re pretty sure Franklin would have approved of Pennywise. The next one is on Sunday, August 28, from 1-4 PM. Still no Richard, but lots of great wines for tiny little prices.