Eyewear company Warby Parker will open its first northern New England location in Portland’s Old Port early next year.
The company plans to move into a nearly 2,000-square-foot space at 184 Middle St., in the historic William Widgery Thomas Block, which was built between 1867 and 1874, East Brown Cow, the managers of the building, said in a statement Thursday afternoon.
The store will be a couple of blocks away from Eyes on Rosemont and less than a mile from Washington Avenue’s North Optical, which was named “America’s Finest Optical Retailer” by Invision Magazine this year.
Sandy Gilsenan, Warby Parker’s chief retail and customer experience officer, said the upcoming location will “allow us to connect with our Portland area customers in person and offer them affordable, holistic eye care.”
“We can’t wait to open our doors to the community in 2025, where customers can admire store artwork by Maine-based artist Christopher David Ryan,” Gilsenan said.
Founded in 2010, Warby Parker initially only sold glasses online, allowing customers to try on frames at home before making a purchase. Its first retail location opened in New York in 2013.
Warby Parker currently operates more than 270 retail locations nationwide – including more than a dozen in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut – but does not have a retail presence in northern New England, according to the company’s website.
The Portland location will carry the company’s full range of optical and sunglass options, Warby Parker and third-party branded contact lenses, accessories and more, the company said. Further details, including store hours, will be available in the coming weeks.
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