On Point

Focal Point Opticians, Berkeley, CA

OWNER: : David Salk; URL: focalpointopticians.com; FACEBOOK: facebook.com/focalpointopticians; INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/focalpointopticians; YELP: yelp.com/biz/focal-point-opticians-berkeley; FOUNDED: 1976; Opened featured location: 1976; AREA: 2,000 sq. ft.; Buildout cost: $200,000; ARCHITECT AND DESIGN FIRMS: DeSmidt Builders; TOP BRANDS: Anne Et Valentin, Barton Perreira, Theo, Kirk & Kirk, Jacques Marie Mage, Ørgreen, Lindberg, Cutler and Gross, Kala, Masunaga, Eyevan, ic! Berlin, Masahiro Maruyama, eClips Custom Clips, BlueLogic365 lenses; EMPLOYEES: 8 full-time, 2 part-time

David Salk

DAVID SALK’S LONG journey in optical began in high school, and continued as he worked part time while attending UC Berkeley. Following graduation in 1973, he worked in a contact lens clinic before managing two high-end optical stores in San Francisco. After a few years he decided to go his own way, opening Focal Point Opticians in January 1976. Over the years the décor has changed but the commitment to quality and service has never flagged. Says Salk, “We have always welcomed difficult Rxs, challenging frame repairs and clients who require extra time and care.” In naming Focal Point one of nine Honorable Mentions in INVISION’s 2024 America’s Finest Optical Retailers contest, our judges expressed a deep respect for the way its long history and deep community engagement inform its top-level customer care.

As the business grew over the years, Focal Point embraced premium independent frame designs, becoming the first Oliver Peoples account in the Bay Area in 1987. They now carry more than 30 premium collections and offer an extensive inventory — Salk’s reps tell him it’s one of the largest collections of independent eyewear in California. “If a client is going to take the time to visit our store, we want to be sure they will find what they are looking for,” he says.

What began as a space dominated by natural materials — with lighting hidden in box beams, frames dispensed over butcher block and patients warmed by a working fireplace — has evolved into a sleek boutique. The beams have been painted and the rooms brightened with quartz-halogen and LED lighting to bring out the colors and details of the frames, which are arrayed on glass shelving.

Team members have a lot of input in the daily operation of the business, says owner David Salk.

Customers now relax in rubber-and-wood chairs that once graced the Museum of Modern Art. “Overall, we have always wanted Focal Point to feel comfortable — stylish, but not stiff — a place that people like to stop by and visit whether in a suit or in shorts.”

This relaxed stylishness extends seamlessly to Focal Point’s online presence. “Social media is a form of communication, and its effectiveness is not easy to measure. Certainly, Yelp is something that consumers rely upon regularly, and we also post on Facebook and Instagram… We are still learning,” shares Salk.

Team member and graphic design wiz Melissa Lucero creates marketing materials and images combining photographs and cartoon graphics, and she and colleague Luke Patten also create the store’s striking window displays. Trunk shows are held at least every two months. “We have many loyalists that have their favorite brands — Theo, Anne et Valentin and others — and it’s a great opportunity for the clients to see everything and for our staff to watch customer responses to the styles that we don’t currently have.”

Asked about his top frame brands, Salk replies tactfully, “Oh my, there are so many, and I don’t want any of our vendors to feel slighted, as they are all excellent … but if I had to pick one it would be Anne et Valentin, because there are so many great frames for small faces with great style!” In lenses, they have been doing more and more IOT Camber; they also fit Hoya, Zeiss, Essilor and Shamir products where needed. “Mostly top tier in lens designs and lens treatments. We do have our own lab, and I would like to give a shout out to our lab manager, Miguel Castillo, who is so skilled, and makes sure that every job comes out as it should.”

Believing that empowering staff is the key to holding on to them, Salk includes his team in meetings with frame and lens vendors to review new technologies and fitting techniques. Team members also have a lot of input in the daily operation of the business and a great deal of autonomy. The collaborative ethos extends to local eye doctors, who appreciate Focal Point’s lens expertise, says Salk. “We work with many ‘hard to fit’ patents and so teamwork is very important to get the best results.”

An active member of the community, Focal Point provides free eyewear to a few local non-profits, and Salk has been actively involved in the preservation of the Elmwood Theater, keeping it open as an independent movie house.

Looking back on Focal Point Opticians’ decades-long evolution, Salk says, “There are many highlights, but I would say the greatest has been serving clients for over 40 years, and hearing their life stories as we all grow older.”

Five Cool Things About Focal Point Opticians

1. CLASS ACT. Salk is a founding member of the Visionary Band, which performs at the Hard Rock in New York every year to raise money to provide vision care for underserved populations. Over the past 15 years, the group has raised over $3 million.

2. VINTAGE DECOR. Focal Point has some great eyewear poster art from Europe from the ’30s that Salk never gets tired of.

3. INNOVATORS. The business recently launched BlueLogic365 (patent pending), a lens that provides superior blue light filtering and is photochromic, so it can be used outdoors as a sunglass lens.

4. PAWSITIVE influence. Lab manager Miguel Castillo’s dog Ralph is a valued part of the team. “Even on stressful days, two minutes with Ralph is some of the best therapy around.”

5. SAFETY FIRST. During COVID, the business built two private rooms to offer greater safety to clients who needed to be separated from the public, and these are still used.

PHOTO GALLERY (7 IMAGES)