(L to R) Oxford Eyes’ owner and founder Verbelee Nielsen-Swanson, Orlando mayor Buddy Dyer and city commissioner Robert F. Stuart celebrated the ribbon cutting at Oxford Eyes’ grand reopening. Image courtesy of Oxford Eyes.

ORLANDO, Fla—For the team at Oxford Eyes in Orlando, Florida, it’s been an exciting, bustling two years on Swanson’s Ivanhoe Row in Ivanhoe Village—and now things are about to get even better. This week, the family-owned indie eyewear shop is moving on up—six doors down, that is, to a larger location on “The Row,” in Ivanhoe Village, which will allow the shop to host bigger trunk shows, popups, and other events, as well as carry an expanded eyewear collection and offer other additional services in the future. 

To celebrate the big move and break in the new location (which boasts a large eyewear mural on its white brick exterior) the team at Oxford Eyes hosted a grand reopening both online and in person, with a live-streamed ribbon cutting and guests that included Orlando mayor Buddy Dyer and city commissioner Robert F. Stuart.

The Oxford Eyes team posed inside their new, larger location in Orlando, Florida. Image courtesy of Oxford Eyes.

Due to COVID-19, the grand reopening was small and safe in person, and live streamed on Facebook so everyone who wanted to take part could join in. Despite those unavoidable changes, Mayor Dyer said, Oxford Eyes’ grand reopening shows how strong small businesses can be in the face of adversity. In a statement, the Mayor said, “As the COVID-19 pandemic brought many challenges for businesses to safely reopen, it is good to see our business community continuing to expand and grow throughout this unprecedented time. It is a true testament to the strength and resilience of Orlando’s small business community and the support small businesses, like Oxford Eyes, receive through Orlando Main Streets and Ivanhoe Village.”

A socially distant grand reopening also meant more time to celebrate—the Oxford Eyes team has been celebrating on social media in advance of the event, and celebrations will continue throughout the week as well: customers who make an appointment with Oxford Eyes September 23 received private styling sessions, exclusive discounts, treats, refreshments and more, all on an appointment basis.

For Oxford Eyes’ owner and founder Verbelee Nielsen-Swanson, this move is just the beginning. She said, “The Oxford Eyes team and I are excited to be in a bigger space and will continue to bring unique, bold and eclectic eyewear to Central Florida. The entire Oxford Eyes team has a passion for the eyewear industry and ensuring our clients feel confident, have the latest lens technology, and the best frames to express their style. We are grateful for the community’s support of our independent boutique the last two years, and we look forward to what the future holds as we continue to serve our community.”

                       
Oxford Eyes’ grand reopening was live streamed on Facebook so everyone could attend, despite COVID-19 restrictions. Image via OxfordEyes on Twitter.   

Oxford Eyes celebrated their grand reopening with private styling, giveaways discounts and more, all by appointment only. Image via OxfordEyes on Twitter.