Eyetique founder retires from family business

Over the past 30-plus years, Eyetique has become as well known for its clever ad campaigns starring local celebrities sporting its designer frames as it has for the eyewear and optical care. In fact, more than 700 familiar faces — from athletes and actors to comics and race car drivers — have starred in them.

The man behind the frames — and the ads — is Norman Childs. He started the business on Murray Avenue in Squirrel Hill nearly 40 years ago with $1,500 charged to seven credit cards, along with a lot of passion and entrepreneurial intuition. That one storefront turned into another in Wilkins, which morphed into several more. Then came the Norman Childs Eyewear brand, 3 Guys Optical (eye exams and designer eyewear at reduced prices) and Chromos Eyewear, a brand his son Daniel started about four years ago.

Now he’s ready to try something new: retirement. He’s stepping away from Eyetique and turning over his responsibilities to his younger brother Brad, who will serve as regional vice president. His son Daniel also is expanding his duties beyond Chromos in Lawrenceville as Eyetique’s marketing coordinator.

“Hopefully I can relax a little bit and get my golf game better,” says Mr. Childs, 59, of Squirrel Hill. He also plans to grow a small real estate business he’s started on the side.

His retirement comes on the heels of the announcement last month that Dallas-based investment firm Riata Capital Group acquired Eyetique, as