Norman Childs History

In 1979, at the age of 21, Norman Childs had a vision. After working for big box eyewear centers for three years, he was finally ready to do things his way. He drove up and down Murray Avenue in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh searching for empty storefronts. He finally found one at 2242 Murray Avenue, where the original Eyetique location is still located (although it's now twice the size). With a $5,000 loan and a few freshly minted credit cards, Norm got things underway. In fact, for that first year, Norm was the only employee. Even from the beginning, Eyetique was very different from other eyeglass stores. Norm understood that as important as it was to sell glasses, it was even more important to create relationships with his customers. He set out to provide them with an incredibly unique experience; one that most people don't expect when it comes to picking out new frames.

Whereas most places promise great service (but then fall short of delivering it), Eyetique built its business on superior service. During those early years, as Norm and the rest of the people at Eyetique created one relationship after another, the products at Eyetique began to change. Unmatched service deserved an unmatched selection of products. Eyetique began to carry eyewear that most people wouldn't find outside of New York City, Chicago, or San Francisco. Names like Oliver Peoples, Prada, and Chanel. Word got around that Eyetique was the place to go if you wanted a look that no one else had. People who showed up for the looks stayed for the service, and people who were there for the service were crazy about the looks.

One night in 1992, Norm jumped out of bed (we're not kidding) with another vision. What about ads featuring local and national celebrities wearing frames from Eyetique Just like that, one of the most recognized ad campaigns in Pittsburgh was born. Still going strong, over 600 actors, athletes, musicians, doctors, and people from all kinds of different backgrounds have appeared in the ads. After offering Pittsburgh exclusive access to the hottest names in glasses, Norm knew that he wanted to design and market his own line of frames. With all of those years spent selling glasses, he knew what people wanted, and he knew that he could make it for them. The Norman Childs line debuted in 1998, and it has become the best-selling brand of eyewear at Eyetique. Even better, many of the frames are now proudly made by hand in the USA.

Even after doubling in size, the Squirrel Hill store was no longer big enough to hold all of Eyetique¹s customers. In 1997 the second Eyetique store opened in Wilkins Township. Eyetique headed north in 2001, opening the Wexford branch. 2006 saw the opening of the Eyetique "Boutique" in Shadyside and the most recent opening took place at South Hills Village in 2007.

Throughout the years, Eyetique's focus hasn't changed. Norm, along with his brother (and Chief Operating Officer) Brad and the rest of the dynamic staff at Eyetique continue the relentless pursuit of world-class service coupled with high-fashion, high-quality products. Far from following the latest fads, Eyetique is always busy setting the latest trends. All of this while providing customers with a unique experience that will change the way they shop for eyewear.