Del Mar Village Small Business Spotlight: Alexander Daas Opticians
Welcome to our business spotlight blog series, in which we interview the folks behind your favorite Del Mar Village businesses. We hope you learn something new and stop in soon!
Del Mar Village Small Business Spotlight: Alexander Daas Opticians
Interview With: CEO, Alex Feldman
Tell us your backstory: What was your path to owning a business in Del Mar Village? Did you grow up here? Why did you choose Del Mar Village to set up shop?
My parents immigrated from Russia to New York where I was born, and when I was young we moved to San Francisco. They started an optical business and I grew up every day in that shop, learning lenses, eyewear and all things optical from sunglasses and eyeglasses to prescriptions. I cut my first set of lenses when I was 12.
My San Francisco location has been around for over 40 years and is a local staple in the quaint Marina District. Our shop is known for styling athletes, politicians, and locals. I also have a shop in Larchmont Village in Los Angeles, where we serve the Hollywood community, including the talent behind the scenes and those on the big and small screen. It’s incredible to work with the people behind the most classic movies of all time. That street is really interesting because it’s a “no paparazzi” zone, making it a safe haven for celebrities. Makes for fun sightseeing (especially the bodyguards).
I’ve always dreamed of having a location in each major city along the California coast, and Del Mar has brought this vision to life. The neighbors, the locals and the dogs make our team feel at home, and because it’s a very similar experience to our other locations it just feels right.
My wife grew up in Del Mar and spent her entire childhood in the village. She often reflects on how lucky she is to have had a “zero period” surfing class at Torrey Pines High School where she would swim in the ocean before school started. And how she used to bolt from school at lunchtime to get Board & Brew. Their sauce never gets old!
Tell us about your business. What should people know about it? What makes it unique?
Our favorite saying is “You have 20 pairs of shoes but only 1 pair of glasses? What do people look at first, your face or your feet?” It’s so true.
Eyewear used to be just for medical purposes, and over the years has progressed to become a fashion accessory. In fact, we have many customers that buy quality eyeglasses with plano lenses just for the look.
We are known for curating some of the best sunglasses and eyeglasses from around the world from leading designers, and use cutting-edge lens technology. I also design our eyewear brand Alexander Daas, which is crafted based on research from styling thousands of customers across multiple cities and understanding what people want, can’t find, and the quality and styles that make day-to-day wear comfortable, sophisticated and chic.
Here are some tips and tricks for those not in the trade:
Lens quality matters, both the type of lenses you receive and where they’re manufactured. Then you have the finishing craftsmanship – cutting the lenses into the frame. We have multiple labs on site at most of our locations, so while we order lenses from the most premium manufacturers, we control the finishing, completed with the highest quality with just the right TLC by our trained opticians.
When you’re purchasing eyewear it should feel like an experience. Our eyewear stylists are trained at the intersection of medical and fashion ensuring you are confident in how you feel and how you see. Eyewear styling is a real thing. And precise optical measurements matter.
You can get prescription lenses in your sunglasses (and your FSA Flex dollars will cover this). This can be done in store or online.
What is one product or service you are most known for or is particularly special to you?
We are known for curating quality eyewear across the board, and specialize in eyewear for petite faces, something that is often hard to find as an adult, though we have product for all face shapes and types.
One of our favorite items is the Alexander Daas Eyewear Chain, a unisex necklace that can be used as a fashion accessory, doubling up as an eyewear holder. You can say goodbye to losing your frames or stretching them out on your head since this necklace gives them a secure place to hang.
Tell us one fun fact about your business most people don't know.
We were the first people in the eyewear business to have a website and a blog. People in the industry and customers used to laugh about it, and look where the internet has come today!
What do you love about Del Mar Village?
The scent of the ocean, the coolness of the air, and the calm feeling, even on a busy street. There’s something about Del Mar that is so serene and peaceful.
How would you spend the perfect day in Del Mar? Where would you go? What would you eat or do?
I’d wake up at L’Auberge and start with a juice from Elixir before heading down for a walk on the beach.
From there I’d head to brunch at Monarch, play some pingpong with my kids on the rooftop deck at the Plaza, have lunch at Beeside or Tamarindo (don’t make me pick!), and then play some football with my family on the green at 15th Street before stopping by the local shops. My wife loves Julie’s Beachwear, Durante’s and Sundancer.
And of course, the kids would beg for ice cream, so we’d rock-paper-scissors between Nice Cream and Seaside Yogurt.