Home

Welcome to Downtown Eyewear, Kelowna's premiere optical retail store. Located in the heart of downtown, at Bernard and St. Paul.

Downtown Eyewear is proud to offer a pleasing and entertaining experience. Choosing eyewear should be an adventure not a chore, for each frame provides a different persona. After more than 35 years in the optical industry, I still love what I do and clients marvel at how I can pick the perfect frame. Most people who go shopping for a frame do so with very little assistance from a professional, therefore they tend to pick frames that are familiar and well within their comfort zone -- but this is not always the same as the frame that looks best.

I once passed out paper towels to a group at a lecture on optics, to show that in every industry there are differences in value. When the quality lets you down, well, paper is disposable. You toss your mistake and buy a better quality next week. Quality not only lasts longer but feels better. Eyewear is not quickly disposable. It needs to last, perform, and of course feel comfortable. Eyewear purchased with only price in mind will invariably let you down, usually when it's least convenient. Then, we run around semi-blind trying to find a place that will fix them quickly or, in frustration, buy another pair, elsewhere of course. Selling by price alone never encourages customer loyalty. It's no way to build a small business.

Downtown Eyewear is the fourth optical store I've owned and operated in the last 35 years and my goal has always been to create a thrilled customer - not just satisfied, but delirious with their purchase - because their glasses not only look good but feel great and their visual performance is perfect. I've achieved this by always running a complete hands on operation. I purchase or create frames which allow for optical functionality. I take the crucial measurements, order the lenses and then hand-cut and fit them into the frame. There are no surprises, and no one else to blame. I know how the eyewear will perform before I even order the blank lenses and this direct accountability establishes an environment of trust thereby creating a loyal repeat customer. It allows for a "can do" attitude on my part that chain stores staffed by frame hangers can't offer.

What customers are told elsewhere can't be done, I very frequently can do - successfully. I started out learning optics in labs, learning to create prescriptions from scratch and to solve visual problems. After 35 years in the business I can quite honestly call myself a Master Optician. I encourage you to visit my place of business and see for yourself as I'm confident that after sitting with me and learning to understand your needs, you won't want to go anywhere else.