Small Business Spotlight - Italy Optical

Italy Optical opened 27 years ago in 1995, founder Joon Kim told us. One of the reasons he established the business in Doraville was that many minorities were opening businesses here.

Mr. Kim was born in Korea and grew up in California. He graduated from the American College of Optics [today American Career College]. He moved to Georgia because there were better living opportunities, better housing, and a better environment for all.

Kim and his wife Yoon not only have their business in Doraville, but they are also residents of the city, having raised their family here. Time goes so fast, and they have always worked very hard to provide high-quality and personalized services to all their clients.




Mr. Kim, an optician with many years of experience in the field, said that what makes Italy Optical a unique store is its vast selection of designer eyewear, contact lenses, and children’s opticals. “We have high-end frames. We have a distributor that provides us with eyewear from everywhere. Although I don’t have a particular favorite brand, Ray-Ban is very popular, maybe because it has a Retro style. Today, plastic frames, big frames, and black frames are also popular.”

When we asked him what changes he has seen in all these years, he said that some of the changes in the city are the arrival of H Mart and BrandsMart, and the big plans the city now has to keep growing.

“The city of Doraville is the best because I work here, I live here, and make my living here, so of course, I think this is the best,” said Mr. Kim. “We have clients from all over, sometimes even from Buford and other parts of Georgia. If people want to open a business in Doraville, I will tell them that this location is the best. It is very accessible to the I-285 freeway, so it is easy to get to places.” Mr. Kim describes it as a small international city that has everything right here. “The city is doing its job, nothing gets in the way, so I think Doraville is doing a very good job. I don’t have any complaints, and, as a small city, if there are no complaints, no news is good news,” said Mr. Kim.
The Italy Optical team includes Dr. Lester Drezek, Doctor of Optometry, Dr. Daniel Ahn, Doctor of Ophthalmology, and very professional bilingual Korean-English and Spanish-English personnel.