MASON, Ohio—Pearle Vision,  the eyecare practice founded by Dr. Stanley Pearle more than 50 years ago in Georgia, is stepping up efforts to expand its franchise operations in Canada throughout this year, according to an announcement. The eyecare and optical retailer has set its sights on signing up new franchisees across Canada, but with emphasis on the Canadian markets of Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton and Toronto. Currently, there are 60 Pearle Vision EyeCare Center locations in Canada, most of which are concentrated in the Toronto area, according to a spokeswoman. The company believes there is a lot of opportunity for growing the Pearle Vision brand in Canada.

"We are excited by the high level of interest in Pearle Vision shown by potential licensed owners in Canada,” vice president of licensing and development Josh Robinson said in the announcement. “Pearle Vision partners with optometrists, opticians and qualified investors who share our passion for genuine eyecare. We are excited about our Ignite program, which allows independent optometry practice owners to take their business to the next level by converting their practice to a Pearle Vision franchise location.”

To support the Canadian expansion effort, Pearle Vision planned to have representatives available at the Franchise Canada Show in Calgary, Alberta, (last weekend) and at the Franchise Canada Show at the Edmonton Convention Centre in Edmonton, Alberta, on March 23 and 24, the company noted. “We look forward to meeting with entrepreneurs of various backgrounds and discussing the possibility of bringing Pearle Vision EyeCare Centers to more communities,” Robinson said.

Pearle Vision, which has a mix of 444 corporate and franchise locations in the U.S., is owned by Luxottica, and was named in January as one of the nation’s top health franchises in Entrepreneur magazine’s Franchise 500 list, as VMAIL reported.