×
×
homepage logo
LOGIN
SUBSCRIBE

Downtown’s Myoptic sees need for customer care

By George Pelletier - Milford Bureau Chief | Apr 24, 2020

Myoptic owner Bob Cagen said downtown business has been sedate, but he remains open by appointment only to assist customers who require eyeglass repair or replacement. Telegraph photo by GEORGE PELLETIER

NASHUA – If you have ever walked into Bob Cagen’s boutique optical shop Myoptic, 204 Main St., in downtown Nashua, there’s no doubt that the eyes have it.

With 1,200 frames in his shop, he handles high-end designer and fashion eyeglass frames and creates eyewear that’s a work of art. His branding is built not out of necessity – it’s about looking smart and incredibly chic.

Some of the brands he carries includes L.A. Eyeworks, Oliver Peoples, Goldwood Eyepieces, Jean Francois Rey, John Varvatos, and Paul Smith.

Myoptic also offers a wide array of sunglasses to suit every taste and style.

Cagen has more than 40 years in the business – 20 years in the old Nashua mall on Broad St., and 22 years downtown. His store, independently owned, offers uniquely cool, classic and even quirky eye wear, pricier than typical frames because they are anything but typical. They are runway-ready.

During this pandemic, Cagen has remained open for appointment only, and is glad to be there for his clients – current ones, and maybe a few newbies this might check out his website (myoptic.net).

“When people come in for an appointment, it’s just that client and me in the store,” he said. “I’m doing Instagram and Facebook and such. I’m getting a little response. But if you’re open and you’re on Main St., there really aren’t any cars. People are going to the supermarket and then getting the hell out.”

People aren’t exactly spending a lot of money right now, Cagen said. Some are frugal, some are cautious. And hand-made eyewear may not exactly be on anyone’s shopping list.

“With sales, it’s not setting the world on fire by any means,” Cagen said. “And I think it will be a while. People are scared. They’re waiting. I did get a call from someone this morning, who broke their glasses, so they made an appointment for later today.”

With none of the chain stores open, – most are in a mall – eye glass repair is hard to come by and sparse at best. Many people have had to reschedule their eye appointments because their doctor’s office may only take patients if it’s an emergency situation.

“They are limited,” he said. “That’s one reason why I’m staying open, more of a convenience for people. And I’d like to do some business and I’d like to pay the rent.”

Since Cagen makes the lenses for the glasses he sells, they’re send to a lab and with everything at a trudge of a slow-motion pace, like practically everything else, a finished pair of glasses may take an extra few days.

“If you choose a frame that’s in stock, the labs used to take about a week,” he said. “They’ve cut way back. So, if they worked five days a week, they’re down to about two.”

Cagen said it might four or five days, depending on the pair and the types of lenses. And with hundreds and hundreds of different frames, colors and styles, his one-of-a-kind boutique offers something for everyone. Eyewear for the extroverted, his website touts.

“Most of our stuff, the eye glass frames, come from Europe,” he continued. “Well, Europe is closed for the most part. France is closed, Italy is closed. Denmark is open. Japan is generally open. But if it’s not in stock in the states – it depends on the company – some companies do carry a small stock in the United States.”

Cagen is a seasoned retailer and has weathered other storms that downtown Nashua has stirred about. And right now, he concurs, that it’s all about keeping your wits.

“That’s all you can do,” he said. “You do what you have to do. If you break your glasses, you have to go out. If you need a loaf of bread, you have to go out. If you have kids, you have to somehow entertain them. Take them outside for a walk. You have to do something.”

To schedule an in-store appointment, call 880-6700.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This content is being provided for free as a public service to our community during the coronavirus outbreak. Please support local journalism by subscribing to The Telegraph at https://home.nashuatelegraph.com/clickshare/checkDelivery.do;jsessionid=40C089D96583CD7318C1C1D9317B6162.

Newsletter

Join thousands already receiving our daily newsletter.

Interests
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *