Comstock's magazine 0620 - June June 2020 | Seite 20

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A New Chapter
Family-owned bookstore adjusts to limitations of state’s coronavirus order
BY Tom Couzens
Crawford's Books
Owner: Sue and Greg Richards
Where: 5301 Freeport Blvd. Suite 200,
Sacramento, Sacramento County,
[phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: crawfordbooks.net
Purchased: 2018 (founded in 1983)
Business: Bookstore
Crawford’s Books owner Sue Richards
now offers curbside pickup at her store on
Freeport Boulevard in the Hollywood Park
neighborhood of Sacramento.
PHOTO BY TOM COUZENS
Why a bookstore?
Crawford’s Books, opened by Jim and
Joyce Crawford in 1983, was purchased
by Sue and Greg Richards in January
2018. “Greg and I talked for years about
someday opening a bookstore,” Sue says,
“but it was more of a pipe dream than
a planned reality.” Greg is a structural
engineer, and Sue was an office manager
for a nonprofit, and neither had worked
in retail. “But our love of bookstores was
strong,” Sue says. “Anytime we headed
out of town, we always sought out the
local bookstores to get the vibe of the
community.” The Richards live near the
store and had made many trips there
over the years, so in October 2017, Sue
says she mentioned to the Crawfords that
if they were ever ready to retire and sell
the store, Sue and Greg were interested.
“We wanted them to know that there was
a local family in the neighborhood that
would love to buy it,” Sue says. “Within a
couple of weeks, we had an agreement.
20 comstocksmag.com | June 2020