Indiana’s Own.
Family owned from our very first exam chair to our newest office, built on simple beliefs: living your best life starts with seeing your best and everyone deserves access to high quality vision care.
Since 1940, we've helped Hoosiers like you catch the blur before it becomes their normal.
Our history
Built to fix this.
In 1940, Dr. David Tavel opened his first office at the Claypool Hotel in downtown Indianapolis. Eighty-six years later we’re still cemented in Indiana. Your eyes are what matters most and we have no intention of going anywhere.
1940First location opens at
the Claypool Hotel
FamilyLarry (son) and Mollie
(granddaughter) helm the company
TodayInvested in 28 communities
Our mission
Good vision is easy to take for granted, right up until you lose a piece of it.
A little less sharpness. A little less color. The fine print you used to read without thinking twice. It happens quietly, and most people never connect the dots between how they see and how they are living.
We believe no one’s potential should be limited because of their eyesight.
Sight is not just a sense, it is the gift that lets a student read the whiteboard, an athlete track the ball, and a grandparent see a grandchild’s face clearly for the first time. Our mission is to make sure every Hoosier has the eye care they need to see more, do more, and live more is to help every Hoosier see clearly, so they can live better.
Our impact today
The numbers that back it up.
150,000
pairs of eyes examined annually
#1
See more children than any other eye care provider in Indiana
125,000+
pairs of glasses made annually in our own Indianapolis lab
300+
employees all working towards one mission
Millions
of Hoosier eyes examined
Access for every Hoosier.
Good vision should not depend on your schedule, your plan, or your budget.
Open evenings and weekends
We were the first in Indiana to see patients after work and on weekends.
All insurance accepted
Including Medicare and Medicaid, at a time when most providers will not.
Free exams and glasses
For nearly 10,000 Hoosiers in need every year.
Free vision screenings
For schools and community organizations across the state.
Clearly Better, since 1940
Eighty-six years in, we are still the same family business that opened its doors in the Claypool Hotel, just with 28 offices instead of one.