My husband claims he has two superpowers: he can eat an unseemly amount of ice cream quickly without getting brain freeze and, as he likes to boast after each annual eye exam, his vision is better than 20/20. It seems my two young daughters have inherited both of these super human talents whereas I have to accept the sad truths that I will never win an ice cream eating contest and that I will forever deal with the hassle of eye appointments and prescription lenses. (Right now I can totally hear my mother telling me that she told me so re: ruining my vision by reading in bed with a flashlight!)
My last trip to the optometrist was a disaster; I wasn’t 100 percent clear about what my vision insurance covered and I ended up picking out a generic pair of frames that have been a nuisance ever since. The glasses slide off the bridge of my nose when I look down (which is about 99.5 percent of the time when you’re parenting munchkins under 3 feet tall) and they give me pressure headaches if I wear them for longer than an hour or two.
It’s time to suck it up and buy a new pair. It’s a task I’ve been putting off because it seems like such a chore and I already have those in spades. But then I heard the buzz around the city: Zen Eye Care, the new eye care practice on London Road, is open for business.
Going Zen
Located in the plaza off of 21st Ave E, Zen Eye Care takes their name seriously. The vibe is upscale rustic, but incredibly chill. It’s got Duluth Cool written all over it. I love the muted, neutral color palette, the comfortable seating, the plant life, and all of the gorgeous repurposed wood that serves as their eyeglass frame boards and tabletops. And the frame options themselves? Top notch works of art. Clearly, they have an eye for beauty at Zen.
The optometrist, Dr. B (Eric Bohjanen) and Optician DQ (Donald Quada) are hip, friendly, and incredibly personable. They’re all on hand to answer your questions, crack jokes, ease your concerns, and even make your nervous kids feel like they’ve met their new best friend. Indulge in a warm cup of locally sourced brewed tea or fair trade coffee, roasted here in Duluth, and shoot the breeze about eye health.
Forget making an appointment at the spa, an afternoon hanging at Zen Eye Care is a serious stress reliever; you walk out feeling completely pampered.
Friends for Life
What makes Zen Eye Care so special is their commitment to their patients. You aren’t just another line in the appointment book, you’re part of the family. Dr. B sums up their philosophy of care perfectly. He says,
“It saddens me when I ask new patients who they saw over the last few years and they have no idea. Zen Eye Care slows things down again…. even if it’s just to talk about why my stir fry recipe is superior to my mother’s. That’s the point. You can’t care about people until you know them and they know you.”
Trust me, you’ll leave your first appointment excited to make a second one. And a third. And then you’ll bring in your kids to meet everyone and get them all signed up for annual eye exams, or you’ll bump into your new optometrist in the grocery store and block the aisle with your carts while you happily chat about every Minnesotan’s favorite topic: the weather.
Eye Care Meets Community Caring
Zen Eye Care is putting down roots in Duluth. They’re not here to just perform eye exams, they’re here to do good and make a lasting contribution. Their business model is unique in that it considers the global and local communities in every tiny detail. They created the Zen Initiative, a program that works with each individual customer to donate a corresponding amount to local Northland non-profit organizations that promote equity, economic development, education, the arts, food and climate sustainability, and wilderness conservation in our very own city.
They’re also partnered with product lines that seek to impact communities on a national and global scale; portions of proceeds and rebates from frames and lenses help bring eye clinics to remote areas, or provide eye exams for underserved individuals.
Clearly, Zen Eye Care “gets” Duluth. They know that this little city is really one big neighborhood full of warm and generous people. They know the value of giving back, of treating strangers like new friends, and of passing on a legacy of charity and inclusion to the next generation.
That’s a business model I’m happy to support, and it turns a once mundane appointment chore into an outing I look forward to. I’ll see you in the waiting area at Zen–I’ll be the one sipping a third cup of coffee and refusing to leave!
