Alexander Daas Opticians is starting its second decade on Larchmont Blvd. Over ten years on Larchmont, that’s something, especially in today’s retail market. The Buzz posted a story about their opening in 2013.
At the time, we noted that owner/CEO Alex Feldman, fell in love with Larchmont Village when he first discovered the street. When we spoke to Feldman for this story, he told us he always wanted to be on Larchmont because it reminded him of Chestnut Street in the Marina District of San Francisco where his family business started.
“The Alexander Daas brand was launched in 2010 and we bought out one of our Alexander Daas dealers that had a store on Larchmont for 5 years since 2008,” said Feldman. “Our first sale at the Larchmont shop was August 31, 2013.”
Feldman grew up helping his parents in the family’s optical shop, known as San Francisco Optics, started in 1979 by his father who had trained as an engineer in Russia before emigrating to the U.S. At first, he helped out after school while his parents encouraged him to get his education and pursue his own interests. Like many immigrant families, his parents wanted him to get a good education and become a professional. But along the way, Feldman found that he really loved the business. He also found his passion in designing lenses and curating the shop with elegant and well-made glasses.
“They finally let me work on the floor with customers and learn how to take measurements and fit someone with glasses,” said Feldman.
After college, he took over the operation of the business which has grown from one location to three, adding shops on Larchmont Blvd and San Diego. He also changed the name of the San Francisco shop to San Francisco Optics by Alexander Daas, reflecting the brand of eyewear he developed from years of working with customers to modify lenses.
Larchmont Blvd and Chestnut Street weren’t always as fancy as they have become in recent days. Feldman has seen both streets evolve during his tenure and served as the President of the Marina Merchants Association for many years. Working together, the local small businesses managed the evolution of Chestnut Street which now boasts an Apple Store while still keeping the local independent shops.
“Apple had to get approval from the Marina Merchants Association,” explained Feldman. Apple replaced a Walgreens drug in 2007. The Marina District store was the third store in San Francisco.
“We worked through the issues together so we could make sure we weren’t going to lose our smaller shops. We have to keep our smaller tenants on Larchmont too,” said Feldman, who also serves as a member of the Larchmont Boulevard Association though he lives in San Diego. He’s also helping out his local community of Del Mar where his other store is located.
As an active member of the local business community, Feldman believes that everyone working together helps increase the visibility of Larchmont, which leads to more people on the street, which hopefully translates to more successful businesses of all shapes and sizes.
Ten years on, Alexander Daas Optical on Larchmont serves a steady stream of longtime customers looking for unique designs and personalized service.
Oliver Macapinlac, an optician and the manager of the Larchmont shop told us business is good because they have built up a loyal customer base offering a full-service shop with eye exams and a unique selection of eyewear.
Here’s to another ten years!
