An ending in sight: Cozza Optical closing after more than 24 years in business

After more than 24 years of providing personalized visual service to area residents, Cozza Optical is permanently closing its North Side and downtown Spokane locations.

Owners Barbara and Sam Cozza initially wanted to sell the business to keep its legacy alive, but the coronavirus pandemic made it difficult to find a buyer.

“It’s been a good run. It’s been a lot of work, but Spokane has been pretty good to us,” said Barbara Cozza , adding they want to thank customers for their support over the years. “It’s a bittersweet way to end. We didn’t want to close, but COVID-19 hit and took away a lot of options.”

Although a specific closing date has not been determined, Cozza Optical began liquidating inventory, furniture and optical equipment at its two locations this week.

As items sell, the Cozzas will eventually merge the two shops into one location prior to permanently closing, Barbara Cozza said.

Cozza Optical opened in 1996 at 5522 N. Wall St. The couple started the business with a small amount of capital that included a $10,000 loan from Sam’s parents, Albert and Naomi Cozza. In 1997, the Cozzas purchased Thavis Opticians, a shop that had been operating since 1949 in the Paulsen Building at 421 W. Riverside Ave.

Barbara Cozza left her job as a traveling eyewear sales representative to work at Cozza Optical’s downtown location, while Sam Cozza worked at the North Side office.

Cozza Optical purchased a grinding facility in 1998, providing the capability to grind lenses in-house and making it the only local independently owned optician with the ability to sell, grind, edge and dispense eyewear under one roof. 

With the ability to grind lenses in-house, Cozza Optical has provided patients with more options and kept the business afloat during the Great Recession because they didn’t have to pay lab charges while keeping prices at the same level, Barbara Cozza said. 

About eight years ago, Cozza Optical moved its North Side location from 5522 N. Wall St. to a site across the street at 5503 N. Wall St.

During its more than two-decade run, the business was recognized as Washington Family Business of the Year in 2003 and was first runner-up for National Family Business of the Year in 2004.

Cozza Optical also was named Spokane’s best optical shop for the past six years in Spokane Couer d’Alene Living magazine.

“We were just a small shop and to get that kind of recognition was amazing, and being named best (optical shop) in the city has been a great little kudos as well,” Barbara Cozza said. “We have some of the best customers around. They are more than customers, they’ve become our best friends.”

Cozza Optical is among several independently owned optical shops nationwide facing challenges in the industry as more large national chains and big-box stores offer optometry services.

An estimated 200 independently owned optical shops operate in the state, according to the Opticians Association of Washington.

The Cozzas are beginning the next chapter of their lives in Surprise, Arizona, where they plan to continue working as opticians.

“We’re actually going to stay in the optical business,” Barbara Cozza said. “We are just going to work for someone else. We are not retiring, we are starting a new adventure.”