Specs Around Town

Bloomington, United States

5

19 reviews

Accepts Credit Cards

Contacts

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Telephone:
+1 309-827-7327
Website:
www.specsaroundtown.com
Address:
317 N Center St, Bloomington, IL, 61701
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:
2 miAmtrak - Bloomington-Normal
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Bussiness info

Accepts Credit Cards
Yes
Parking
Garage, Street
Bike Parking
Yes
Wheelchair Accessible
Yes

Today

Today –
Local time (Bloomington) 10:03 PM Sunday, June 1, 2025

Business hours

Monday –
Tuesday 9:30 am – 5:00 pm
Wednesday 9:30 am – 5:00 pm
Thursday 9:30 am – 6:30 pm
Friday 9:30 am – 5:00 pm
Saturday 10:00 am – 2:00 pm
Sunday –

Description

Specialties

Most Unique Eyewear, Sunglasses & Accessories in Central Illinois Since 1998

Since 1998, Specs Around Town has offered the most unique eyewear and sunglasses to people all over central Illinois. Our eyewear collections are unique, creative, beautiful and like nothing else you will find short of traveling to large metropolitan cities.

We feature more than 15 unique collections of eyewear from around the world. We also carry:

* Jewelry

* Specessories

* Watches

* Eyeglasses and sunwear

Owner, Julie Kubsch, is an ABO licensed optician since 1980. Our staff of opticians, with over 60 years of cumulative experience, can custom create the perfect frame for your style, facial structure, or prescription needs. We carry some of the most unique boutique collections from around the globe including Theo, Andy Wolf, Shwood, Gotti Switzerland, l.a.Eyeworks, Feb31st, Francis Klein, Wissing, Lindberg, Gold & Wood, 2.5 Eyephorics, Anne et valetin, Theo, Salt Optics, J. F. Rey, Face a Face, Maui Jim, Zeal and many others. Our ophthalmic prescription lenses are designed with the latest technology available in the industry. We can fill any prescription and we tell people daily that we are like a pharmacy for the best eyewear money can buy!

Call Specs Around Town today for more information. Also find us Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and at www​.spec​saround​town​.com

History

Established in 1998.

Optician/​Owner, Julie Kubsch, has worked in the optical industry since 1980. Hearing the constant request over the years for more interesting eyewear reinforced the need for a great optical boutique that offers unique eyewear, sunglasses, optical accessories, jewelry, watches and personalized service. Beginning in 1998 Julie offered mobile optical services to Central Illinois going to client’s homes and offices. With the tremendous response to her selection and services she opened the boutique in downtown Bloomington in 2001. Since it’s inception Specs has offered the latest technology in prescription lenses along with cutting edge one-​of-​a-​kind eyewear collections.

Meet the Business Owner

Julie K.

Business Owner

Associate Degree/​Ophthalmic Dispensing 1981.

American Board of Opticianry certified since 1981.

Original owner/​concept creator of Specs Around Town.

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19 reviews of Specs Around Town

No registration required
Place rating: 5
Bloomington, IL
LOVE this place! Seriously there is no place like it anywhere. An amazing selection of the finest Eyewear from around the world and the staff is so helpful and friendly.
Place rating: 5
Bloomington, IL
I have the cutiest glasses in Blo/​No thanks to Specs Around Town! Great friendly and very helpful staff. I love this place and their frames are phenomenal
Place rating: 5
Bloomington, IL
I absolutely love the customer service, high quality frames. The staff makes you feel right at home. I get so many compliments on my Wissing frames.
Place rating: 5
Normal, IL
Amazing customer service! Stunning show room floor! This is an example of how a successful business can be operated. I don’t wear glasses, Wife does! Original looks and styles can be found here to stand out and be different! Did I mention great staff? Great staff. We spend more here and get much more in return in the fine service. A great business! Five stars!
Place rating: 5
Bloomington, IL
I love this place and the people who work here. Before I tried Specs I got my glasses from other places in town, but each visit seemed like a clinic appointment rather than a shopping experience.
Specs Around Town is a lively, colorful and FUN place. The frames are not just frames… they are wearable art. The frames are expensive, but keep an eye out for specials (and Unilocal Check-​In offers). You get what you pay for: quality and good service! They also carry fun jewelry and watches.
Julie has become a friend. You’ll see her around town supporting many local events. Katie is wonderful and dedicated to great service. Everyone there is very friendly and helpful without being pushy.
Kudos to everyone for making this a fun and highly successful locally owned business!
Place rating: 5
Springfield, IL
I can’t say enought good things about Specs Around Town. We had exceptional service with zero compromises. Selection and prices were as good or better than other retailers. But you go to independently owned stores for the personal service. They helped my wife and I find sunglasses that flattered us with zero pressure or upsell. I would have happily paid a premium for the service that I received. The great thing is that we paid LESS than we would have at other stores.
Highly recommend. We will be back.
Place rating: 5
Bloomington, IL
I bought a spare pair of frames and they arrived this week. I normally get the Crizal anti-​reflective lenses. They had an upgraded version from Crizal called ‚“Sapphire,” anti-​reflective. It was a modest up charge and was a noticeable improvement in clarity. The closest to optical grade glass, while being polycarbonate and non-​reflective.
Place rating: 5
Bloomington, IL
This is a great place to find glasses and sunglasses. They offer a variety of price ranges and styles from standard to trendy. The staff members are very friendly and helpful. They do not perform eye exams here, but you can have your optometrist simply fax over your lens prescription, and they will get the lenses you want to go with the frames you choose. This is a top notch eyewear store.
Place rating: 5
Cincinnati, OH
Julie and Katie are the best! I used to be kind of a plain homely guy until I let them accessorize my face! They have the most diverse selection of frames I have ever seen. European designers I have never heard of are embraced here. Everything is unique and stylish. I have never received more compliments on anything than I have for the multiple pairs of glasses I have gotten from Specs.
Specs offers amazing service. I live in St. Louis and they have made sure each pair of glasses have gotten to me without and incidents. They even put up with my odd fitting requests for my glasses, not resting until I was happy. Can’t wait for my next pair!
Place rating: 5
Bloomington, IL
First of all, Specs Around Town deserves some recognition for being one of the only (perhaps the only) establishment in Bloomington making use of Check-​In offers on the Unilocal application. The first time I set foot in the store, I pulled out my phone, checked-​in and was offered «1 free small eyeglass cleaner» (a $ 2 value!). As someone who has been Unilocaling in Bloomington since 2007, I have to say, that warmed my heart.
I apologize for the immediate tangent there. Back on track. I first heard of Specs Around Town from some co-​workers. Not just any co-​workers, these are co-​workers with keen fashion sense. I’m one of those people who wears my contacts with such regularity that people don’t know that I need vision correction. I sleep in my contacts. But I was ready for a change.
My wife and I decided that 2011 was going to be the year that we both updated our glasses from 1997. We stopped by some eye-​wear stores to see what they had and wondered why none of them had any options that would make us want to actually wear glasses. Turns out, Specs Around Town as them all.
When we finally stopped by, we were greeted by some nice sales associates. As other reviewers have pointed out, the service at Specs will beat any other store, no question. They’ll ask you what you’re looking for and, if you don’t know and look overwhelmed (like we did), they’ll let you sit down and relax while they hand-​pick some options they think will work for you. Some options were brought to us and we tried them on. My favorite part was that when I put on one pair, the person we were working with (can’t remember her name — wasn’t Julie or Katie, though we worked with them both later and found them to be very helpful) immediately said, «No, that won’t work. Those don’t fit your face.» I could tell that I was dealing with a straight-​shooter, which is what you want if you’re going to invest $ 400 — 500 into a pair of glasses.
My wife had been looking for new frames off and on for the past three years and she picked out a pair within 10 minutes of setting foot into Specs Around Town. I was a bit more indecisive. I couldn’t decide if it was really worth the money to buy a pair at Specs or if I could save a couple hundred dollars and find a pair that worked just as well at another store. I looked around at some other stores a bit more and was underwhelmed by my options. Each time I returned to Specs, they were helpful and encouraging. They will let you take home a pair of frames for a day or two so that you can get used to them if you need. I did this twice and finally decided on a pair.
While my glasses cost more than I had planned to pay initially, I feel confident that it was worth it. Not only do I like the frames, I also like supporting a local business that has great service and stands by the quality of their product.
Place rating: 5
Bloomington, IL
My name is Vicki and I am a sunglass addict! no shame in it! we all have our vices. This is my dealer, my fix! As I write this, I am on vacation and have my LA Eyewear with me as well as two other pair I have purchased here! For the latest in all eyewear, phenomenal service and fun accessories, Specs is it! They can service what they sell too; when my frames are slipping a bit or like the time my ICI Berlins went flying across the parking lot and severely scratched the lenses, Julie has always rescued me and got it right for me. Why would anyone shop anywhere else for eyewear???
Place rating: 5
McLean, IL
I purchased some prescription sunglasses from Specs a few months ago and I have just finished six weeks of my great nephews’ baseball games and they were the greatest ones I have ever worn. They sort of wrap around and I didn’t need to turn my head or adjust my hat due to the sun «getting in from the sides» and I didn’t have to squint at all. Even after six straight hours of sitting in the sun my eyes and face were very rested and I wasn’t «sun-​tired» like I used to be at the end of the day. It didn’t even feel as though I was wearing them. They are so comfortable and don’t slide down my big nose even when I sweat. If you want GREAT glasses don’t miss Specs.
Place rating: 5
Bloomington, IL
After having the same pair of Oakley frames for two years, which I really liked I was ready for a new pair. Being a designer, I was looking for something different than I was seeing in the usual chain shops, wanted something a little more industrial looking. After asking around I was referred to Specs, so by following them on Twitter I was able to pick a time when they were having sales to go in and treat myself to a more high-​end pair at a reasonable price.
When I first walked in I was a little taken back w/​glasses all over, Julie popped over, gave me an overview on how the frames were separated and told me to take a look around and holla if I had any questions. Not pushy at all and didn’t follow me or anything, and that I liked. So after selecting 4 – 6 I liked we narrowed it down to two pair and Julie and Katie gave me their honest opinions and I got the pair I wanted. The service was polite and comfortable which is very important to me.
Then Emily was the person who helped fit and introduced me to my new glasses and cleaning goods, she was very informative and on the ball, I was in a hurry so she hooked me up and I was on my way…
About a couple days after getting my glasses they followed up w/​me on Twitter to make sure I was enjoying my new glasses and then a week or so after that I also got a hand written postcard in mail. So I guess at Specs you get a high-​end designer product and that personal touch that makes me thing my money is getting me that extra touch of service…
I recommend and will be back… Thanks — tk
Place rating: 5
Urbana, IL
Best place to buy glasses, hands down! Great service too!
Place rating: 5
Bloomington, IL
Expect wonderful service, trendy glasses, and rather high prices. I love this locally owned business. I won’t go anywhere else.
Place rating: 5
Bloomington, IL
Julie and her crew of fashionistas have been outfitting my family with trendy and unique eyeware since she opened for business out of her original blue VW Beetle back in the late 90’s.
I personally have a sunglass fetish, which requires quarterly trips to Specs Around Town.
If you are looking for unique eyeware that will set you apart from the crowd, this should be your only stop in Central Illinois between Chicago and St. Louis.
Make sure and bring a treat for Lenny, the shop watch dog.
Place rating: 5
Oakland, CA
This is a great, locally owned business in downtown Bloomington. I came in looking for a new pair of glasses. The shop carries many trendy brands. The employees are extremely helpful. They picked out frames for me and helped select one that fit my face and style the best. Highly recommended!
Place rating: 5
Bloomington, IL
I discovered Specs when I moved to Bloomington 2 years ago. I was ready for a new pair of glasses and saw the store right across the street from my apartment. Julie is wonderful and her staff is exceptionally helpful. Katie worked with me that first time and I got a great pair of black & fuchsia glasses. I had always «played it safe» in the past but we found a great frame from Denmark that I really loved. Fast forward a year and I’m back again for a 2nd pair. This time I went with a brown/​orange frame with magnetic sunglasses. Again, great service. This past year, I chose a pink/​purple/​green/​yellow mosaic half-​frame with a twist. Julie actually picked these for me and I get compliments every week on how trendy they look. Just got my eyes checked a few weeks ago and I’m armed with a new prescription. I think red this time. I’m addicted.
Place rating: 5
Bloomington, IL
What a great store… any glasses you would ever be able to find and the staff to help you find them! My husband came home looking very trendy (and at 6’7″ with crazy red hair, that’s saying something). Lenny, their store dog is just a gem.