What Eye Mechanix does

Eye Mechanix is a Chicago-based eye care practice that operates as a now-integrated sub-brand of Big City Optical, a privately held, family-led optical retailer founded in 2017. The business delivers comprehensive optometric services — comprehensive eye exams, contact lens exams, pediatric exams, diabetic eye exams, and disease management (dry eye, glaucoma, cataracts, diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration, keratoconus) — alongside a retail eyewear business spanning 700+ designer and independent frames, contact lenses (including specialty scleral, Ortho-K, RGP, and hybrid lenses), sunglasses, blue light glasses, and Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses. The practice also performs surgery co-management and offers a warranty and frame repair program.

The operating model is a direct-to-consumer retail optical chain with 24 storefronts across Chicago city, northern suburbs, and western suburbs, supplemented by an e-commerce frame platform and an online contact lens reordering portal. Revenue is generated through professional services fees (exams, disease management, co-management) and transactional product sales (frames, lenses, contacts), with no publicly disclosed pricing. The customer base is segmented into general consumers, children/adolescents (myopia management), and patients with chronic eye conditions requiring longitudinal care.

Eye Mechanix was acquired by Big City Optical during the 2024-2025 period and its Lincoln Park and La Grange locations were rebranded under the Big City Optical banner, with transitioning patients receiving a 40% off sunglasses welcome offer through July 31. The combined network has earned Vision Monday Top 50 U.S. Optical Retailers 2024 recognition and holds a 4.7/5 Google rating across 209 reviews, with continued unit expansion signaled by a "Coming Soon" pipeline including Park Ridge, Tribune Tower, and Merchandise Mart locations.

Name

Eye Mechanix

Legal name

Eye Mechanix

Website

https://eyemechanix.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Eye Mechanix is a Chicago-area optometry and optical retail practice offering comprehensive eye exams, disease management, and eyewear sales, now operating as an integrated sub-brand of Big City Optical's 24-location Chicagoland network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Optical Retail and Eye Care Services

NAICS

Offices of Optometrists (62132), Optical Goods Retailers (45613)

SIC

Ophthalmic Goods (3851)

akta.pro primary industry

Optometry Clinics (Primary Eye Care) (HLAKAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Optical Dispensing & Eyewear Retail (Glasses/Frames/Lenses) (HLAKAKAL), Comprehensive Eye Exams & Vision Care (HLAKAKAA)

Keywords

• Eye care services
• Optical retail
• Comprehensive eye exams
• Designer eyewear
• Contact lens fittings

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices23 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Eye Care Services: Revenue from comprehensive eye exams, contact lens exams, pediatric eye exams, diabetic eye exams, and specialty examinations
2. Eyewear Sales: Revenue from sale of eyeglasses, frames (700+ designer and independent options), lenses, and sunglasses
3. Contact Lens Sales: Revenue from contact lens sales including daily disposables, specialty lenses, scleral lenses, Ortho-K, and annual supplies
4. Eye Disease Management Services: Revenue from treatment and management of conditions including dry eye, glaucoma, cataracts, diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration, and keratoconus
5. Surgery Co-Management: Pre- and post-operative care services for cataract and other eye surgeries
6. Eyewear Repairs: Repair services for glasses frames regardless of where purchased

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Eye Mechanix provides comprehensive eye examinations and a full range of optical products and services, including comprehensive, contact lens, pediatric, and diabetic eye exams; eye disease management for conditions such as dry eye, glaucoma, cataracts, diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration, and keratoconus; specialty contact lens fittings; surgery co-management; and the retail sale of eyeglasses, frames (700+ designer and independent options), contact lenses, sunglasses, and blue light eyewear. The practice is being integrated into the Big City Optical brand as part of a 24-location Chicagoland network.

Product overview

Eye Mechanix (now Big City Optical) is a unified eye care platform offering a comprehensive portfolio of vision health services and optical products. The core offering combines clinical eye care services (eye exams, eye disease management, surgery co-management) with an extensive optical retail component (eyeglasses with 700+ frames, contact lenses, sunglasses, blue light glasses). Specialty offerings include myopia management, dry eye treatment, and specialty contact lenses (RGP, Ortho-K, scleral, limbal fit, hybrid). The product line is unified under the Big City Optical brand following the Eye Mechanix rebrand, delivering a seamless patient experience across all services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Eye Exams Comprehensive eye examinations customized based on patient age, lifestyle, and medical history, employing state-of-the-art diagnostic methods for adult and pediatric patients.
• Eye Disease Management
• Specialty Lenses Specialty contact lens fittings including rigid gas permeable (RGP), Ortho-K, scleral, limbal fit, and hybrid contacts, as well as lenses for dry eye, myopia, astigmatism, and keratoconus.
• Surgery Co-Management Pre- and post-operative care coordination for cataract and other eye surgeries, ensuring seamless communication between patient and surgeon.
• Eyeglasses and Frames Retail sale of over 700 designer and independent eyeglass frames personally selected by eye doctors and opticians, with frame repair services.
• Contact Lenses Contact lens exams and fittings tailored to cornea topography, with daily disposables and comprehensive contact lens options available.
• Sunglasses Sunglasses that protect eyes from UV rays, with trendy styles from multiple indie and designer brands to complement facial structure and personal style.
• Blue Light Glasses Eyewear designed to protect eyes from blue light exposure from digital devices.
• Myopia Management Programs and treatments including Ortho-K lenses designed to manage and slow myopia progression in children and adolescents.
• Dry Eye Treatment Treatment options for dry eye including specialty lenses, antibiotics, eye inserts, tear-stimulating drugs, serum drops, LipiFlow, and intense-pulsed therapy.
• Vizz Drops Eye drops offered as part of the service portfolio for various eye conditions.
• Meta Glasses Smart glasses technology combining eyewear with technology features (Ray-Ban Meta).
• Warranty Program Eyewear warranty program providing assurance and protection for eyewear purchases.
• Glaucoma Management Detection and treatment of glaucoma using eye drops, medications, and potentially surgery with cutting-edge diagnostic technology for earliest detection.
• Cataract Management Diagnosis, option consultation, and pre/post-operative care for cataract surgery.
• Pediatric Eye Exams Eye examinations specifically designed for children.
• Diabetic Eye Exams

Quantifiable outcome

• 4.7 out of 5 Google rating based on 209 reviews
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• EyeCare Partners: Optometry platform backed by private equity aggregating independent optometry practices across the U.S. Comparable business model of doctor-led full-service optometry and optical retail at multi-state scale, and a likely consolidator competitor for clinical talent and acquisition targets in the Midwest.
• For Eyes: National optical retail chain offering eye exams, prescription eyewear, and contact lenses with a comparable product mix. Overlaps in targeting middle-income consumers seeking exam-plus-eyewear convenience in urban and suburban locations.
• Pearle Vision: National optical retail franchise network (EssilorLuxottica) offering eye exams, eyewear, and contact lenses. Competes in similar trade areas on convenience and assortment, with franchisee-driven local presence overlapping Chicago-area catchments.
• LensCrafters: National mall-based optical retail chain owned by EssilorLuxottica offering eye exams, frames, lenses, and contacts. Comparable core offering (exams + eyewear retail) but operates at national scale with broader brand portfolio and pricing power, directly competing for the same walk-in consumer traffic in Chicago-area malls.
• America's Best Contacts & Eyeglasses: High-volume value optical retail chain combining eye exams with multi-pair promotional pricing on contacts and eyeglasses. Competes primarily on price/value, drawing price-sensitive consumers that Big City Optical also targets through eyewear promotions.

Others

• Costco Optical: In-store optical departments at warehouse clubs offering low-priced exams, lenses, and frames. Functions as a price-anchor competitor on commodity eyewear and contact lenses, particularly for value-oriented consumers in the Chicago suburbs.

Direct peers

• Stanton Optical: Multi-state optical retail chain offering eye exams, eyeglasses, and contacts with a value-to-mid positioning. Comparable in multi-location roll-up approach, mix of in-store and online ordering, and overlap with Chicago-area consumer segments seeking affordable exam-and-eyewear bundles.
• Warby Parker: Direct-to-consumer optical retailer combining affordable eyewear with in-person retail stores and online sales. Highly comparable go-to-market model (own retail + e-commerce) targeting the same consumer eye care and eyewear wallet, with overlapping assortment and pricing pressure in the Chicago market.
• MyEyeDr. PE-backed optometry and optical retail chain with a comparable store-level model combining comprehensive eye exams with a broad frame assortment. Most directly comparable on business model, multi-location footprint, and emphasis on doctor-led care across multiple U.S. regions.

Regional players

• Target Optical: Optical retail counters operating inside Target stores, offering eye exams and eyewear through licensed optometrists. Competes on convenience and price within shared big-box footprints in the same Chicago suburbs, drawing some of the same one-stop-shop consumer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/BigCityOptical
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/eye-mechanix
• Instagraminstagram.com/bigcityoptical

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Eye Mechanix