MONTANA EYES FOUNDER MARLA COHN AND HER DAUGHTER REBECCA COHN, ABO LICENSED OPTICIAN, DISCUSS CREATING A SUCCESSFUL RETAIL ENVIRONMENT THROUGH THEIR FEMALE FOUNDED, FAMILY-RUN LUXURY EYEWEAR BOUTIQUE WITH FEATURE EDITOR JILLIAN URCELAY

Firstly, we are a family business, which right out the gate makes us special. Our staff makes selections for clients from the heart. MAKING PEOPLE FEEL GOOD ABOUT WHAT THEY’RE WEARING AND HOW THEY’RE SEEING IS OUR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY. We go out of our way to order styles for people in mind, knowing what they love. Our inventory is constantly changing, and we make sure to always have colorful, playful, unique frames.

The feel and aesthetic of Montana Eyes is MODERN WITH AN ANTIQUE FLARE, and the best advice we’ve received when running our business is to always invest in your inventory and always do the best you can for people.

When hiring staff, for starters use intuition. My mother and I have been working in this industry long enough to get a good sense about people. THE TOP PERSONALITY TRAITS WE LOOK FOR ARE KINDNESS, PATIENCE AND ADAPTABILITY. We keep a small staff, everyone wears every hat, and we all like each other—that’s important!

WE CONSIDER OURSELVES LUCKY TO BE ON A STREET LIKE MONTANA AVENUE, where independent retail, coffee shops and restaurants are still thriving. We are located near the beach and extremely walkable. Our new location is on a busy corner and has windows on both sides giving us way more visibility.

Montana Avenue is home to a very curious crowd that is always eager to support new businesses in the community. WE PRIORITIZE HELPING ONE ANOTHER, whether that is sending one another business, sweeping the sidewalk in front of our stores or even sharing baked goods gifted by loyal customers.

Our consumer base is mainly working professionals in the arts, tech or medical industries. OUR CLIENTELE IS CONCERNED WITH QUALITY, AND THAT IS WHY THEY COME TO US. As for the neighborhood, of course we have our usual clients that we love to help, but we also have our regulars on four legs… who could forget the dogs? There is a fully-stocked dog treat jar at the ready for our eager furry friends. ■