Our Team: Your eyewear consultants.
Leon Butler
Leon is the owner of Brookside Optical and has over 45 years of experience in every phase of the eyewear industry. From manufacturing to design, Leon has the ability to ensure your prescription is met with expertise and will help you explore the many options in frame colors and styles. He will offer new ideas and options most people have never been exposed to. Leon’s expertise in manufacturing superior lenses and the ability to provide clients with a variety of frames not found anywhere else in Kansas City gives you the specialized attention usually reserved for celebrities.
Nick Alvarez
Nick has 20 years of experience in the optical industry. His knowledge spans from lab work to medical optical testing to frame styling. Nick has several eyewear certifications and has found his home in the Brookside Optical lab. Nick enjoys knowing that his expertise is helping someone see perfectly.
Joe Alvarez
Joe started in the optical industry in 2007. He has gained exceptional experience in professional fitting and dispensing of quality eyewear. Clients bond with Joe very quickly and love his energy. He has a great eye for choosing the right frames, colors and lenses that best suit your personal and professional optical needs. He provides instructions in eyeglass care and the benefits of premium products. Being a perfectionist, Joe ensures that your glasses fit by doing custom adjustments.
Joe Bergman
Joe originally started in the industry working in eyewear labs making glasses and quickly rose to become one of the best in the country. Joe joined our team in 2014.
Brianna Butler
Brianna has been with Brookside Optical since 2013 and is the youngest member of the team. Don’t let her age fool you; she is no stranger to the optical industry. From a very young age, Brianna started learning the trade and working behind the scenes of Brookside Optical through the guidance and expertise of her father. In May of 2018, she graduated from the University of Kansas from their highly accredited business school and joined our team full time.
Our Story:
A childhood love of art and
a desire to make eyewear shopping fun.
“I wanted to make eyewear shopping fun and provide stylish frames for every personality.”
- Leon Butler
An eye for design since childhood
For as long as Leon can remember, he’s loved design. He didn’t know how he would translate that passion into a career, but he eventually would.
Learning to craft custom lenses
Early in his career, Leon’s stint at an optical lab taught him the craft of creating custom lenses. There he honed the skill of fashioning difficult prescriptions into stylish eyewear.
Difficult to find stylish eyewear
When he opened Brookside Optical in 1989, Leon noticed there was a void in the Kansas City market for unique, custom and designer eyewear.
He also noticed how hard it was to get stylish frames if you have an extra-strong prescription. And how overwhelming it is to find the right frame among hundreds of styles.
Making eyewear shopping fun
So, Leon combined his eye for design with a desire to make shopping for eyewear an enjoyable experience. He and his team will introduce you to colors and styles that will look great on you. Then they will craft the lens to meet your specific needs.
Frames from around the world to give you out-of-this-world style
We at Brookside Optical are dedicated to making you feel good about looking good—with unique and out-of-the-box styles. Let us help you find the right frame for you.
We’re here for you.
Our Lab:
Giving you
state-of-the-art customization.
Our lab will custom make your glasses with the personal touches previously not available for the average person. Each pair of glasses is hand crafted to only the finest specifications. We pride ourselves on having one of the most state-of-the-art labs with the latest technologically advanced equipment in the world. Any order can be customized to add your own personal touch. With the luxury of having an on-site lab, we are able to do many hard-to-fill jobs and customizations that every other optical shop will turn away.