A Polished Arkansas Practice That Keeps Patient Numbers Low and Quality of Service Sky High

3rd Place: Uptown Eyes, Fayetteville, AR

OWNER: Megan Baureis, OD | URL: uptowneyesnwa.com | YEAR FOUNDED: 2011 |AREA: 1,665 sq. ft. | EMPLOYEES: 5 full-time, 2 part-time | FACEBOOK: facebook.com/uptowneyes | INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/uptowneyesnwa | TOP BRANDS: Gotti Switzerland, Matsuda, Andy Wolf, Anne & Valentin, Lafont, SALT., Oliver Peoples | REMODEL COST: $20,000

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UPTOWN EYES WAS founded in March 2011, when two optometrists — both from backgrounds where the eyecare was fast-paced and the time with the patient was minimal — acquired a local independent optical in Fayetteville, AR, determined to do things differently.

“Some business models allow you to see 20-plus patients a day so you serve a broader patient base, but the time per patient in the exam room or choosing the perfect frame is limited,” says Dr. Megan Baureis, who opened the practice with Dr. Holly Andersen but has since taken over as sole owner. “Our main focus is the patient experience, and it’s just too easy to let that slip when the schedule is super busy.”

Both doctors continue to practice in the location, and the owner of the location’s original optical boutique, Traci Wyatt, is still rocking her optician skills with them.

In 2011, calling their area of Fayetteville “uptown” was a new concept, but they had done their research, and it showed that the area was growing with new infrastructure and retail. Uptown Eyes’ clientele is diverse, from college students to professionals coming from all over northwest Arkansas.

Uptown Eyes utilizes every inch of its 1,665 square feet. “We have a small space but have come to embrace and love it,” says Baureis. The design is simple, modern and clean but with a warm, inviting feel. Walking in the front door, customers find themselves not in a waiting area, but in a large open gallery with home-like furniture and a coffee bistro.

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The color palette was kept simple, combining crisp black and white with Uptown Eyes’ signature green. Metallic finishes mixed with bold rugs and patterned window treatments combine to create the very opposite of the sterile look they sought to avoid.

Before last year’s remodel, staff were drafted in to move furniture and role-play patient flow. “We fine-tuned every inch until it worked optimally for the comfort of patients and staff,” says Baureis.

The Uptown Eyes team love amazing frames, but for Baureis any discussion of eyewear is incomplete without considering “how it makes people feel to experience a truly genuine person-to-person interaction and how special we can make them feel in that eyewear.” The team meets at least biannually to spend dedicated time role-playing every scenario of patient care. “We call this our ‘polish,’” says Baureis.

The optical is suffused in soft lighting, glass shelving, and enough space on shelves so that each frame can stand out on its own. “We love our independent frame lines and the story each one tells. We look for brands that share our values and support businesses like ours with top-notch quality, outstanding reps and reliable customer service,” says Baureis.

The Uptown Eyes team do all their own digital marketing and social media in-house, aside from professional photography. “We don’t use stock images. We are very intentional at keeping our digital presence relevant to who we are.” The practice offers online scheduling, two-way texting with patients, online ordering of contacts, and digital patient forms.

Baureis stresses the importance of supporting your team. This she does, “intellectually, inspirationally and financially.” She’s also proud of the fact that Uptown Eyes is women owned and operated.

On the medical side, Baureis is excited about the practice’s newest technology, the Optos retinal imaging device. Patients find it more comfortable, she says, adding that it’s a time-saver and a great educational tool.

Comprehensive exam slots are allocated no less than 30 minutes each, and Baureis says her patients respond well to Uptown Eyes’ whole-health and preventative approach to eyecare.

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Of course these are not normal times, and Uptown Eyes has not been spared. COVID-19 forced the practice to close to routine care for seven weeks and furlough staff. “It was the hardest thing I have ever had to do as a business owner,” says Baureis. The team shared a few tears and have worked together to find a “new normal.” Some changes like masks won’t go away anytime soon, but there are a few small changes she is hoping will stick, such as digital check-in forms and the “opticians schedule” — the team now schedules everything from eyewear dispenses to shopping to adjustments.

In saner times, Uptown Eyes is a regular participant in local events, from sponsoring a Roots Music Festival to participating in the spring and fall fashion shows of Northwest Arkansas Fashion Week. “We have fun supporting the community as well as the independent small business and eyewear industry,” says Baureis.

PHOTO GALLERY (24 IMAGES)

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Five Cool Things About Uptown Eyes

1. KEEPING THE FLAME. Uptown Eyes frequently provides observation hours and internships for students interested in the field of optometry. Drs. Baureis and Andersen both feel it is important for students to have experience in the real business of optometry and enjoy teaching about the profession.

2. FASHION-FORWARD. Uptown Eyes provides eyewear twice a year in NWA Fashion Week, sponsoring and styling the models on the runway.

3. PAPER-FREE. “From our digital check-in forms that are mobile-friendly … to our laminated consent forms, we try to minimize every sheet of paper,” says Dr. Baureis.

4. COUP DE GRACE. Dispensing is taken very seriously. Pandemics permitting, eyewear is presented like a gift, on a felt tray. After final adjustments, it is packaged in a branded bag with green tissue, lens cleaner and cloth, and chocolates.

5. FRONT & CENTER. Uptown Eyes’ front desk was designed and made by local blacksmith Dave Frazier of Fire & Iron. “It has allowed us to open the space in our optical and provide a more comfortable, efficient space for our team.”