About Us
The Spectacle Shoppe is a family-owned eye care and eyewear business founded by Herb and Carol Ryder in 1967.
Herb's journey began in Geneva, New York, where he crafted eyeglasses during high school before pursuing education at Erie Community College and Indiana State University. After three years working with Dr. Ronald Smith in Plattsburgh, Herb struck out on his own, and in 1967, Herb and Carol opened the doors to the Spectacle Shoppe on Cornelia Street in Plattsburgh.
In the early '80s, their son Tom joined the business. Tom, too, had attended Erie Community College and was also licensed to fit contact lenses, an up-and-coming addition to prescription eyewear at the time.
In 1993, daughter Gretchen, or “Dr. Gretchen,” as she is informally known to her patients, returned home after graduating from the New York State College of Optometry and became the final piece in completing the friendly family business.
Now located on Tom Miller Road in Plattsburgh, Tom and Gretchen continue to uphold the tradition of exceptional customer service while remaining active in the community.
