About Us

Carnation Optical is a local family owned full service optical center. Carnation Optical was one of the first shops to open when the Carnation Mall was built in 1984. Back then, the business was owned by Dr. Ken Leonard. John Fussell started in 1984 as an apprentice optician and purchased the business in 1996.

John was joined by his wife of 36 years, Connie, in 1997. Dr. Chuck Belles assumed duties as anchor optometrist. Ace daughter, Stephanie, joined the team in 2004.

Most recently, Della Kline joined the group in 2017 and earned her license through the state board in 2019. While she’s not direct family, she has assimilated to the blood line and become a vital extension of the family team.

In January of 2018, John & Connie decided to pursue "partial retirement". Translated, that means that each of them are only in the office 1-2 days a week. If you’re looking to deal directly with either of them, feel free to give us a call and we can let you know when they will be available.

Carnation Optical is not only family owned, but optician owned as well. We feel that this gives us an incomparable edge over our competition. We focus on the finished product: the eyeglasses which, in nearly every case, we make ourselves. These manufacturing and fabricating skills transpose well in other facets of our craft such as fitting and adjusting, frame selection and frame repair and replacement. This expertise in eyeglasses is why many local Ophthalmologists and Optometrists recommend Carnation Optical as a great place for their patients.

The great service is only just starting when you purchase your glasses from us. All glasses are fully warranted for a full year against anything except loss or teeth marks. Period. No small print or disclaimers. Adjustments and minor repairs are free for the life of the glasses. Adjustments and repairs are available from our opticians anytime, without an appointment during business hours. We are open until 6pm Wednesday and Thursday and 3pm Monday, Tuesday & Friday for your convenience (click here for our full schedule).

Would you like to keep your current frame and order new lenses only? Not a problem! Our state of the art onsite lab makes this a breeze. In most cases, we only need your frames for less than an hour to complete them, not days or weeks.

In addition to our technical skills, we maintain a casual, relaxed atmosphere. Browse our selection of over 1500 frames at your leisure, not in a sterile "starched lab coat" environment.