Last Friday, Warby Parker opened its newest location in Cambridge.
Warby Parker, a well-known glasses retailer specializing in online commerce, has launched over 60 locations across North America since 2013. In their brick and mortar locations, customers can not only purchase glasses, but also bring them in for repairs and adjustments at the same location.
“Our Newbury Street location was our second-ever retail store. We’re excited to come back to Boston, across the river,” said Ruthie Ben-Zvi, a spokesperson at Warby Parker.
Glasses, both men’s and women’s styles, line the walls of the Cambridge location. For a limited time, the store is offering an exclusive pair of sunglasses: their Haskell model in a striped pacific blue colorway.
The store is library-themed, with the checkout counter being labeled the “reference desk” and card files throughout the store. Books line the tops of the display cases, with even more books available for purchase below the shelves.
“These are part of the design of our store,” said Daniella Weinberg, director of brand communications at Warby Parker. “They’re real books, so customers can take them down and check them out if they want to.”
Boston University students have the option to visit either of Warby Parker’s existing Boston locations, on Newbury Street, in the Prudential Center and in the Seaport District. However, Ben-Zvi said he believes the store’s distinctive characteristics will convince students to make the trek to Cambridge.
“The incentive here is that we have elements of the space that are custom and exclusive to the space specifically,” Ben-Zvi said. “We have the pencil room, which is a unique space, the custom artwork, and Newbury Street was our second-ever location, so it’s up a flight of stairs and a little bit smaller [than the Cambridge location].”
The newer Warby Parker locations feature custom murals unique to the storefronts, respectively. The company’s Cambridge location includes a commissioned piece by Massachusetts-based illustrator and designer Christopher DeLorenzo.
Located behind the store’s checkout desk, DeLorenzo’s mural depicts blue-toned city-goers sporting signature eyewear, going about their urban lives. And towards the back of the Cambridge location is the store’s signature pencil room, which sells custom designed pencils, inscribed with quotes and sayings.
All proceeds from pencil sales go to 826 Boston, “a nonprofit youth writing and publishing organization that empowers traditionally underserved students ages 6-18 to find their voices, tell their stories, and gain communication skills,” according to the organization’s website.
“826 is a standout organization whose work we love,” said Dave Gilboa, co-founder and co-CEO of Warby Parker, in a press release. “The phrases on a few of the pencils we’re selling were written by their students — they’re ultra-concise strokes of genius.”
Jenna Leschuk, grants and a spokesperson at 826 Boston, said the nonprofit was excited to partner with Warby Parker.
“Our students have amazing and creative stories to tell. A few snippets from their stories, we felt, would make inspiring additions to the pencils sold at Warby Parker,” Leschuk said. “The pencil bar was a stroke of genius on the part of the design crew at Warby Parker.”
Warby Parker’s give-back initiative expands beyond their Cambridge location. The company’s “buy a pair, give a pair” campaign donates money from each sale to non-profit organizations that give eye exams and offer affordable eyewear in developing countries.
Since being founded, the company has donated over a million pairs of glasses since its founding in 2010, according to CBS News.
Roy Herbert, store leader of the Cambridge location, said working at Warby Parker enables him to combine his work with philanthropy.
“What it’s like working for an organization like [Warby Parker] is basically being able to have your work life and social impact life together, because we’re actually encouraged to take part in that,” Herbert said.
Leschuk said working with Warby Parker has positively impacted 826 Boston’s capability to offer programs to their students.
“We wouldn’t be able to serve 4,000 students every year with high-quality, free writing programs every year if it weren’t for the generosity of our partners,” Leschuk said. “Warby Parker is a new partner, but we’re so excited to work with them because they value creativity and stories, just like us.”
From now on, we’ll come to beamtown for the specticals. Can you review some good restaurants also? AL