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As we dip our toe into the fall months — hallelujah! — we found a really good reason to celebrate the doggiest of dog days.
In August, Fort Worth-based CHROMA Modern Eyewear Eyecare brought home first place in the 2022 America’s Finest Optical Retailers contest from INVISION, the magazine for the American eyecare professional. In other words, the No. 1 optical retailer in America, according to one publication.
The practice is owned by Dr. Matthew G. Barber.
The annual contest, now in its ninth year, highlights the best examples of independent eyewear retailers in the U.S. and Canada, according to a press release announcing the practice’s recognition.
“Dr. Barber’s business is the perfect example of the modern and stunning sorts of fiercely-independent eyecare businesses the America’s Finest contest was created to honor,” says Deirdre Carroll, INVISION’s editor-in-chief, in a statement. “Quite frankly when I saw his entry, I couldn’t imagine another winner for this year’s contest. Clearly, our panel of industry judges felt the same.”
Stores are judged on exterior appearance, interior appearance/design, store biography, marketing, web presence and overall individuality.
The top three winners were featured in multi-page spreads in the July/August issue of INVISION and on invisionmag.com.
“For 20 years, Dr. Matt Barber paid a monthly fee for the dubious privilege of practicing under the brand name of a recognized ‘chain’ of optometric offices,” the magazine wrote. “During those two decades he saw the profession of optometry change, moving in the direction of higher volume, decreased quality of care, and more corporate involvement.
“‘None of these trends had the patient’s best interest at heart,’ he recalls.”
Barber practices alongside Dr. Viren Choksi.