AUSTIN, Texas—My Eyelab, a retail brand of Now Optics, has reached an agreement that will bring eight new franchise stores to the Austin and Fort Worth, Texas, markets, according to a recent announcement. This growth in Texas over the coming months will be driven by a trio of local partnering entrepreneurs—Victor Mankarious, Sameh Bekhit and Arash Ghanbari—the announcement noted. Overall, the agreements with the three parties will bring new My Eyelab locations to several markets in and around Austin and Fort Worth, including Burleson, Weatherford, Lake Worth, Prosper, Round Rock, San Marcos, Crestview and Georgetown.

“We are excited to be joining a brand that has great unit economics, low start-up costs and low ongoing operating costs with an intent on serving a wide array of consumers looking for a dependable place to find a pair of glasses, contacts and other eyewear,” Ghanbari, a University of Texas-Dallas MBA graduate and new My Eyelab partner, said. “This is a game-changing brand, which will be at the forefront of tele-medicine for optical needs, and we believe telehealth to be a huge part of the future.”

My Eyelab has led the optical industry in ocular telehealth by leveraging proprietary innovative telehealth technology to provide patients with affordable and convenient eye exams, the announcement noted. The effort is supported by and driven by founder and chief executive officer Daniel Stanton (the Stanton Optical retail group also is a retail brand of Now Optics).

To date, the company has conducted more than 1 million telehealth eye exams, according to the announcement.

In addition to Austin and Fort Worth, My Eyelab recently signed deals to bring new My Eyelab locations to Oklahoma City, Dallas, and Atlanta.

The company currently has 47 franchise stores open and is on track to have 55 franchise units operating by year’s end. The new openings and signings in 2020 mark a 40 percent year-to-date growth rate over last year for My Eyelab, with 23 units currently in development.

Between sister brands My Eyelab and Stanton Optical, Now Optics expects to have 205 stores by the end of the year, according to the announcement.

The new My Eyelab stores feature an experience “focused on convenience and ease with a contemporary design that highlights the latest technology,” according to the announcement. Each location has an assortment of more than 2,000 frames.