A long-standing New York City practice keeps it in the family

you might say optical is in their DNA. Guillermo Reyes has been working in the optical industry for 33 years alongside his wife. Now his children are going into the business. His daughter Carolina has entered optometry school and plans to continue in the family business.

“It is every parent’s dream to have their child follow in their footsteps,” says Reyes. “Carolina has learned the hard work and dedication it takes to run a business.”

Burnside Optical has four locations in New York’s Washington Heights neighborhood. It’s a close-knit community with a large Dominican population. Being part of the community and understanding its needs is one of the secrets to this independent practice’s success and longevity. Reyes is a native son who has experienced firsthand the changes and growth in the area.

Here, Reyes discusses the changes he’s witnessed in the industry, the importance of community, and passing the optical torch to his daughter.

eb: Tell us a little bit about how your business operates.

gr: My business is a retail optical shop. We offer sunglasses, contact lenses, and prescription eyewear.

We also have an eye doctor on-site to perform comprehensive eye exams.

In the area that I’m located in, we deal a lot with health plans and Medicaid.

eb: How has the optical business changed since you opened your first business in 1987?

gr: In those days, in order to survive in Washington Heights, we had to be a Medicaid provider. However, today, we need to be a provider of a variety of health plans that are combined with Medicaid as well as Medicaid itself.

When we first opened, contact lenses were just starting to become popular and there wasn’t so much variety in eyewear. Today, the variety of eyewear has increased exponentially, and styles are phased out much quicker. Today’s eyewear consumer is more fashion conscious than the consumer of 30 years ago.

eb: How do you feel about keeping your business in the family?

gr: It’s a privilege as parents that our daughter will be able to continue our business that we built from the ground up. She has learned the service and honesty that’s required to build and maintain a long-lasting practice that is part of the community around it.

Washington Heights is a close community. With us being here so long, it will help Carolina take over because she won’t have to reintegrate into the community. She’ll already have been a part of it.

eb: What advice would you offer to other O.D.s or opticians to help them succeed in the optical industry?

gr: Keep up with the changes in the community surrounding your business, as well as the changes in the industry. Otherwise, you’ll get left behind.

eb: What are some of the more exciting trends you are seeing in eyewear and eye care?

gr: The changes in lab and doctor’s equipment are incredible. Social media has become a very important way to promote and advance your business. Also, the use of HD and digital lenses is very exciting because they are light-years ahead of what we were doing 30 years ago.

eb: How do you go about putting together a cohesive frame selection?

gr: I read as many industry publications as I can in order to see new styles and what is trending. I also use traditional media and social media to observe what trends are picking up, as well as what people are looking for.

eb: What are some of your best-selling frame brands?

gr: Tom Ford, Mont Blanc, GUESS, Ray-Ban, Gucci, Prada, and Bvlgari are our top sellers.

—Jackie Micucci