Sterling Optical Franchise Overview

Franchise History

Sterling Optical opened its first door in the financial district of New York in 1914. Thirty-five successful years later, a second store opened in the Washington, D.C. area.

In 1966, Sterling embarked on the first of its expansion programs by acquiring IPCO, a retail optical company and public corporation, making Sterling Optical one of the largest retail optical chain in the Northeast.

In October of 1993, Sterling Optical's parent company Emerging Vision, Inc. acquired 26 new stores with the Site for Sore Eyes chain in California.

The company has over 125 locations in the Northeast, Midwest, Mid-Atlantic and West Coast – whose growth has been accomplished through franchising and acquisitions. A pioneer in the optical industry, Sterling Optical was one of the first to focus on developing proprietary private label brands and forming partnerships with frame vendors worldwide.

As a franchise, they have been repeatedly named by Crain's Franchise Buyer and by Entrepreneur Magazine as one of the top franchise operators in the United States.

As they enter their 100th year in business, they have renewed their commitment to remain an industry leader in the optical industry. The Sterling brand continues to expand beyond the United States, by opening additional units in the Caribbean.

This web page does not constitute a franchise offering or an offer to sell a franchise. A franchise offering can be made by us only in a state if we are first registered, excluded, exempted or otherwise qualified to offer franchises in that state, and only if we provide you with an appropriate franchise disclosure document.