Owner/optician Jennifer Yerden started her career as an apprentice at LensCrafters, then spent two decades at private practices before opening her own business.

The optical’s cozy space is dominated by an actual bar, found online, which serves as dispensing desk and cash wrap. “Clients will sit with me, relax and chat. It’s slowly getting beat up and looking loved,” says Yerden.

Sights & Shades loves a four-legged visitor. The bar is stocked with treats for them and dog goggles are sold to their parents.

The office is painted in calm, soothing Lake House colors.

The business caters not only to locals, but also to the steady flow of day trippers and out-of-town guests drawn to nearby Lake Canandaigua.

Yerden’s business plan is simple: “I offer unique lines, some exclusive. I don’t repeat colors in my ophthalmic frames. I don’t apologize for my pricing or not taking insurance.”

During her Sip & See trunk shows, Yerden offers tea or prosecco and little munchies.  

As a new biz owner, Yerden gathers marketing intel from wherever she can—her sales rep turning her on to Canva, her kids explaining Instagram Reels, or online classes to improve her social media

Sights & Shades offers sustainable frame options, something that resonates with the strong environmental values of Lake Canandaigua-area residents.

Yerden refers to the entrance overhang as her “porch”. In summer she sets up a bistro there, and will sit at it and do paperwork. “I’ll chat with people walking by and offer to clean their glasses. It’s better than hiding in the store.”