In the heart of Liège’s historic Carré district, where tradition and nightlife intersect, Le Bar à Lunettes has reimagined what an optical store can be. More than a retail space, it is an experiential concept that blends modernist architecture, personalized service, and curated eyewear into a destination that feels closer to a cultural salon than a traditional optician.
Founded at the end of 2018, the boutique has since become a flagship in Belgium’s premium eyewear scene, balancing heritage with innovation. At its core is a singular idea: to transform the process of choosing glasses into a design-driven, luxurious, and convivial experience.
We sat down with Thibaut Nocart, founder of Le Bar à Lunettes, to gain deeper insight into the boutique’s business model and positioning. What follows is an interview that sheds light on the vision and concept behind this distinctive optical destination.
1. What is the story behind Le Bar à Lunettes, and how did the concept come to life?
Le Bar à Lunettes (“The Eyewear Bar”) is at once a designation, a logo, and a concept. The notion of a bar, used from our very first installation at the end of 2018, is closely tied to the history and tradition of the Liège district where it is established—Le Carré—a hub for fashion boutiques as well as a festive gathering place where trendy bars and restaurants enliven the nightlife.
The name chosen for our shop fits within this tradition and is reflected in the interior design, where a large pewter bar with a modernist influence takes center stage. Over six meters long and custom-made by master craftsmen in Villeurbanne, this “zinc” bar recalls Parisian cafés of the 19th century while creating a convivial meeting point. It is here that customers discover a personalized selection of the finest eyewear collections from around the world—always with an espresso or refreshing drink within reach.
2. What inspired the unique design and atmosphere of Le Bar à Lunettes?
Le Bar à Lunettes 2.0 mixes the architectural tradition of 19th-century Liège with modernist design for a luxurious yet welcoming experience. The building at 15 Rue Mouton Blanc reflects Liège’s industrial growth, while the interiors draw from Bauhaus functionalism, clean lines, and materials such as glass and steel. Five plaster display niches behind the pewter bar reference architect Constantin Brodzki’s work in Brussels in the 1960s, while furniture pieces from Florence Knoll and Jules Wabbes enrich the space with historical design pedigree.
The result is a boutique that harmonizes past and present: mosaic floors referencing Liège’s artisanal heritage meet modernist influences from Le Corbusier and Mies van der Rohe. This environment mirrors the creativity of the eyewear designers we showcase—craftsmanship and modernity coexisting to highlight our clients’ individuality.
3. How important do you believe store design and customer experience are in the success of an optical business?
We see design as a key positioning axis and a differentiator in our value proposition. Sophisticated interiors and refined displays reinforce our image as a premium optician, while the atmosphere of discovery and comfort builds trust. For us, design is not just aesthetics – it’s strategic. It influences perception, attracts new customers, and strengthens loyalty. Our surveys consistently confirm that clients see store design as an indicator of quality and reliability.
4. What criteria do you use when selecting new eyewear brands for your portfolio?
Our eyewear brand selection process is always based on the design of the frames, the quality of the materials used – whether acetate or titanium and the excellence of the manufacturing process. It is also frequently influenced by our relationship with the designer, who can convey his or her passion to us. The company behind the brand is another key factor, as we assess credibility, reliability, pricing integrity, and manufacturing ethos, with a strong preference for limited-edition eyewear.
Of course, every brand is chosen as an intrinsic part of a portfolio that must ultimately meet the needs of different types of customers in terms of style, design, materials, and price range. Within our portfolio, we consider distinct categories such as high-end prestige, affordable luxury, sport-inspired eyewear, refined elegance, and iconic brands.
5. How often do you introduce new brands, and how do you decide when it’s the right time?
We regularly review the performance of the different brands in our portfolio and are constantly looking for new or lesser-known brands that could offer additional differentiation and an even better match with evolving customer needs, fashion trends, or innovations.
Eyewear fairs such as Silmo in Paris or Mido in Milan provide excellent platforms for discovering new brands, but continuous research through social networks and specialized magazines or websites can also yield excellent results.
The timing of a launch is closely linked to seasonality for sunglasses (spring–summer), while it is more flexible for prescription glasses. However, the release of new eyewear collections is always a key trigger.
6. What percentage of your annual budget do you recommend allocating to renewing and expanding the frame collection?
We follow the traditional 80/20 rule, allocating 80% to existing top-performing brands in the portfolio and 20% to new eyewear brands.
7. What role does personalized service (face shape consultation, styling advice) play in building customer loyalty?
We see services as a fundamental component. Customers coming to our flagship store are looking for something different, for an eyewear proposition offering a true enhancement of their style and personality. Our expert advice has to help them make the best choice at both a technical and an aesthetical level. Our surveys indicate that this is both a key need and a key differentiation element.
8. What are your main strategies for attracting new clients to the franchise?
We continually measure our Net Promoter Score within our existing customer base and carefully nurture their satisfaction and willingness to recommend our shop to friends and family. Roughly one-third of our new clients come from referrals, which we cultivate through trunk shows and events, but primarily through targeted social posts and regular newsletters featuring new eyewear brands and collections, as well as exclusive designer interviews.
Naturally, the primary driver of advocacy is the perceived quality and attractiveness of the eyewear brands we offer and the services we deliver. Therefore, we maintain a meticulous focus on the quality of face-to-face interactions and the time dedicated to each client.
More than one-third of new customers also discover us as they pass by the store, attracted by its design and the spectacles displayed in our windows. This highlights the importance of consistently paying attention to these elements, both at a strategic level (interior design) and at a tactical level (frame displays, branding, etc.).
9. How do you organize and display frames in the store to highlight eyewear uniqueness ?
We also apply the modernist principle of “Less is More,” and we tend to display only a representative selection of frames from the various brands and collections, knowing that we have over 2,000 spectacles in stock—many of which are stored in drawers for consultative selling purposes when customers need them.
Inside the shop, we group spectacles by brand with visible labelling, choosing the appropriate placement according to brand categories and awareness, in order to trigger the highest level of attention and encourage prospects to walk through our door. This principle applies even more to the front windows, where we organize regular rotations of spectacles to reflect the latest trends, limited-edition eyewear launches, and exclusivities.
Last but not least, Jacques Marie Mage, our most iconic frame collection, once again benefits from a dedicated space—a true corner designed in collaboration with the JMM team. Here, you can admire our extensive assortment of limited-edition JMM eyewear, featuring iconic models and prestigious collaborations in various colors, often available exclusively at Le Bar à Lunettes.
The large windows of the new interior patio at 15, the patio itself, and its Japanese zen garden, along with the expansive brushed steel panels, all align with this clean modernist approach and provide an ideal setting for the Jacques Marie Mage salon. It offers a fully immersive experience in the JMM universe at the heart of Le Bar à Lunettes.
10. Beyond eyewear, you integrate lifestyle elements such as hi-fi or jewelry – how do these collaborations add value to your concept?
This approach aims to create a universe of brands and services that reinforce the overall luxury positioning, without jeopardizing the focus on core eyewear products. It is a continuous test of Le Bar à Lunettes’ brand elasticity.
Conclusion
Le Bar à Lunettes is more than an optician—it is a design-led retail experiment that blurs the lines between eyewear, architecture, and lifestyle. By rooting its identity in Liège’s cultural heritage while embracing modernist principles, the boutique demonstrates how physical retail can thrive in the age of digital commerce.
As eyewear continues to shift from necessity to fashion statement, Le Bar à Lunettes shows that success in the premium segment depends on more than frames alone—it’s about storytelling, space, and the personalized experience of being seen.
