Rainier Eye Was Born

While we looked at other practices to purchase in the area, we realized that those retiring owners ultimately preferred the inflated offers of private equity companies’ deep pockets. In November 2022, we switched gears to start from scratch- and to create our own private practice from the ground up. We were re-energized with the blank slate before us- to choose the look, the location, the offerings, and the culture of our next workplace. With a Pinterest board of equipment and decor, a name brainstorming party, and thousands of texted photos and messages, we came up with a plan! Rainier Eye would be our “dream job”- and decisions would be guided by what’s in the patient’s best interest, what would create job satisfaction for our future staff, serve the community’s needs, and make us feel proud of our work at the end of a day.

A Sunday afternoon drive to look at commercial spaces for lease ended with 145 S. Market Blvd in Chehalis. Unphotogenic in the listing, to our pleasant surprise, the exterior of the building had been recently renovated and the space seemed to already have the perfect layout for an optometry office. Our imaginations lit up with the possibilities and we knew we had found Rainier Eye’s home! During our “demo,” a treasure was found in the attic- the (1970s-era) sign from the Olympic Optical Boutique. It appears this space is destined for eye care!