They also hired a consultant to fill in any knowledge gaps. To learn more about the industry before starting the venture, the duo interviewed hundreds of people about their experiences shopping for eyewear, asking consumers what they would want in an optical center. “We went to optical stores from Los Angeles to London, and Miami to Moscow in search of all the best eyewear lines,” says Syzdykov. Prior to opening in 2013, Nelson and Syzdykov spent three years studying the industry and looking at the coolest glasses everywhere they traveled worldwide. Come in and try some frames on, no pressure,” remarks Nelson. “Treat the store like Barbie’s dream house. Customers aren’t treated like patients in a stuffy clinical atmosphere, but rather can enjoy selecting frames in an artsy environment that is just as trendy as the glasses sold. Located in the Promenade at Crocker Park in Westlake, Eye Candy Optical has everything you would find in a traditional vision center, with a unique twist. Nelson and Syzdykov turned the retail eyewear store model upside down, asking the question, “What would it look like if Victoria’s Secret and the House of Blues opened an eyeglasses store?” Eye Candy Optical is “fun, sexy, and rock n’ roll” and isn’t pretentious even though the store carries high-fashion frames from top designers. Enter Eye Candy Optical, a locally owned fashion eyewear shop that is changing the glasses game in greater Cleveland.īaldwin Wallace University MBA grads and co-owners Steve Nelson and Anton Syzdykov left their corporate work with PPG Industries to dive into the world of entrepreneurship after much frustration in finding a decent pair of glasses on the west side of Cleveland. Eyeglasses have transformed from the geeky corrective lenses of the past into an essential fashion accessory that can add flare to any look.īut those of us who aren’t blessed with 20/20 vision know that often the selection of trendy glasses at your average vision center leaves much to be desired. The days of being stung by the nickname “four eyes” are long gone.