Help Dick Vivian & Rooky Ricardo's Records!

Our friend Dick Vivian needs a hand. Dick owns and operates Rooky Ricardo’s Records in San Francisco’s Lower Haight. Back in August, his landlord told him that he’d have to close his store for a seismic retrofit (a preventative shore-up for earthquakes). The hope was that Rooky’s would reopen in October.

We are now halfway through October and the contractors haven’t started the work. While delays are not unusual, when you close your store based on start and finish dates and those dates get bumped and bumped and bumped… plans to get through the closure start to fall apart.

Dick planned for the store to open back up by November. The retrofit hasn’t started so a November opening is highly unlikely. It could be that the retrofit won’t be done until early 2024. With no income from Rooky’s, Dick’s personal savings is shrinking. Rooky Ricardo’s future is in doubt. Help is needed.

Dick opened Rooky’s in the late 1980s, moved by his passion for R&B, girl group and teen 45s of the 1950s and 60s. Since then, Rooky’s has survived earthquakes, drug dealers on its doorstep, the Recession, gentrification, another seismic retrofit, tech, the Pandemic and more. The store has held on, and at times thrived, because Dick constantly attends to its stock and decor while making customers feel welcome and wanted.

Rooky’s is my favorite record store ever. I’ve found countless treasures for $2 a pop. Many a “short visit” have morphed to whole afternoons “wasted” on conversation and discovery. Like many of you, over the years, my Rooky’s record digging trips have turned into Dick Vivian social calls - something that is easy to do as Rooky’s has the hangout feel of record stores of yore. More, our afternoons with Dick Vivian have evolved into true friendships.

Please help keep these beautiful relationships and fantastic record store alive by giving a hand to our friend Dick Vivian. --- Scott Soriano

PS: For every donation above $25, Dick is offering a Rooky Ricardo's gift certificate worth 90% of the donation upon request.