Pearle Vision’s licensed owners, including multi-unit owners, come from many backgrounds and travel different paths. Meet three multi-unit owners:
Expanding the Family Business
Dr. Jeff Butcher and his son, Dr. Chris Butcher, operate three Pearle Vision centers in Oklahoma and six in Florida. They have an area development deal in Tampa for 15 centers, so more expansion in Florida is coming soon.
Dr. Jeff Butcher has been a Licensed Owner since 1999, and Dr. Chris Butcher joined Pearle Vision in 2011 after graduating from optometry school. As doctors of optometry, they naturally focus on providing quality patient eye care, so they appreciate Pearle Vision’s corporate support in operations, marketing and supply chain. “Basically, they give me the free time to focus more on the things I care most about, which is interacting with customers, our experience and how we deliver that,” says Dr. Chris Butcher.
He enjoys the challenge of owning his own business and says Pearle Vision offers many advantages for licensed owners to grow their businesses. Building 15 EyeCare Centers in the Tampa market, he adds, is a strategic decision related to his commitment to deliver a great customer experience.
Shared Passion for Eye Care
Ambreen and Amir Essani bring a personal appreciation for eye care and a love for giving back to their work as Pearle Vision Licensed Owners. For the past five years, the Essanis have worked side-by-side as opticians and Licensed Owners of two Pearle Vision stores in Illinois. Prior to joining Pearle Vision, Amir was a licensed optician in Georgia and Ambreen Essani was a teacher.
“Both of us are all in and very passionate about this work, especially because of Amir’s history,” Ambreen says. Her husband got his first pair of glasses as a 5-year-old in California through OneSight, a nonprofit organization — supported by Pearle Vision — that provides eye exams and glasses to people in need in the U.S. and around the world. Today, the Essanis are very involved with OneSight in Illinois, and Amir has gone on a weeklong mission with the group. The couple also volunteer with Chicago-based organizations to provide eye care and glasses to homeless veterans.
“It’s pretty amazing stuff,” Ambreen says. “We are so grateful to be able to help others and make our patients aware of how important eye care is.”
Winning Investment Opportunity
Joel Jennings did not have prior optical or franchise experience, but he couldn’t resist an
opportunity with Pearle Vision. With a background in corporate finance and accounting, he has spent the last few years commuting from his home in Charlotte, N.C., to Cincinnati to work as a consultant in the regulated utility industry while earning his MBA at night. After graduation, he had planned to start an asset holding company that would allow him to spend more time at home.
When he was contacted by a franchise recruitment firm about Pearle Vision, he began to research the brand. “I was immediately impressed with the culture throughout the company,” he says. “Pearle Vision franchising offers a comprehensive program to help franchisees open their stores, and the Pearle Vision team you work with is extremely knowledgeable and always ready to help.”
Jennings recently signed an area development agreement with Pearle Vision and plans to open at least three stores in the Charlotte market by 2021. The first store is expected to open later this year. “My family and I call Charlotte home because we love the Carolinas and it’s close to our family and friends. I want to make strides toward being at home a majority of the time to watch our kids grow up,” he says. “With the proven success of the Pearle Vision brand and the support provided by the corporate office, I have no doubt that owning and investing in Pearle Vision will allow me to supplement my income from consulting and spend more time with my family.”
The experiences described above are personal to these individuals, and may not be representative of the experiences of all Pearle Vision licensed owners.
This is not intended as an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy a franchise. Within the U.S.A. and Canada, we offer franchises solely by means of our Franchise Disclosure Document. Certain states in the U.S.A., provinces in Canada, and other countries have laws governing the offer and sale of franchises. If you are a resident of one of these states/provinces, we will not offer you a franchise unless and until we have complied with applicable legal requirements in your state. This information about our franchise opportunity is intended solely for residents of the United States and Canada.
