The Spectacle

There appears to be a nice selection of frames – but they’re in closed cases so it’s hard to try them on. The owner or manager stays behind the counter. When I asked for help choosing frames, his advice is limited to, «whatever you prefer». Not helpful! I left.

I am so stoked I found this hidden little shop. The place was an experience just to walk through. It had a historical feel mixed with a modern twist and actually gave the history of a lot of famous people and what type of glasses they wore.
The ship owner was genuinely happy to help my family and I out as we asked a ton of questions and there selection was fantastic. Unfortunately I had just bought a pair recently so I left without a purchase… But next time I’m buying from here.

Cute shop. It definitely has a very old time feel to it. Kind of like Gipetto’s shop from Pinocchio. There are lots of different frames to look at, and the owner has them displayed in fun ways. The owner of this shop is an older gentleman, who is very helpful, yet pretty shy. He is really good at looking at a person’s face, and determining a good frame for each person. My only frustration here is that he has a very limited amount of partners as far as whose insurance he takes, and SelectHealth, who I am switching off of soon, is not one of them.

I was visiting Salt Lake City and had trouble with my prescription sunglasses. This kind shop owner helped me right away and saved the day. The shop is beautiful with lots of great styles. I recommend folks visit and consider buying your glasses here.

This place is great if you’re looking for something unique or just something nicer than you would find at all the other eyewear chain stores. The staff is incredibly helpful and knowledgable and gave me their professional opinion on what looked best on my face. I’m from Northern California and had been looking for new glasses for months and finally found something unique here. I’m so excited for my glasses to come in in about 4 – 5 days!

Ever since having LASIK a few years ago, I don’t need glasses, but I still love trying them on!
Anytime a friend is in need of a new pair of stylish, unique, and quality frames (i.e. not Costco optical) I send them to The Spectacle. Let me rephrase that: I offer to drive them to The Spectacle myself; so that I can try on frames too. From Oliver Peoples and Tom Ford to one-​of-​a-​kind vintage finds, it’s easy to fall in love with more than one pair at this small shop in Trolley Square.
Bonus: Their knowledge and personalized service is worth the stop-​in alone. With the most recent prescription my friend had filled at The Spectacle, they upgraded his lenses to anti-​reflective at no extra charge (that’s a $ 125+ savings)!

This shop is a true gem in Salt Lake City. Bought my first pair of Tom Ford glasses here and all the employees I have encountered have been great help! Today I lost a screw to some Marc Jacobs shades (purchased elsewhere) and stumbled in to the shop with confidence that I would be helped as usual… Not only was I the screw replaced pro bono, but the owner of the shop even shined the lenses as if he had built the glasses himself! Super nice guy and a real connoisseur. A+

John is always extremely welcoming and The Spectacle is definitely your go-​to glasses shop. Im losing ma damn eyesight but this place helps me see things clearer. John tightens my frames without question every time.

I agree with Jeffrey S.‘s review. WOW — I’m from California, but couldn’t find an eyewear shop like this in California – and I’ve been searching for years.
I bought a pair of glasses here and John was fantastic. Hey – did you know that he also is into SteamPunk? He’s designed some SteamPunk objects and they were fantastic. The guy is very creative!
I *definitely* recommend this place. Great shop; great guy; great eyewear pieces!

John Cottam’s passion for glasses alone deserves as many stars as I can give him. I’ve never been an eyeglasses kind of guy – neither out of necessity nor fashion – but John’s shop, The Spectacle, still wowed me.
This little store in Trolley Square sits quietly on the second floor and begs your entrance with a quaint corner door. There are several display cases featuring some high-​end designer eyewear; lots of american and italian names running around. That alone makes for a fun «if-​money-​were-​no-​object» shopping experience, but that’s just the beginning.
Mr. Cottam used to have a shop on the Vegas strip, and is sometimes referred to as «optician to the stars.» He’s designed custom eyeglasses for Ann Margaret, Andy Williams, Sammy Davis Jr, and the iconic Elvis glasses. He also displays a tribute to the glasses he designed for Blade Runner.
My favorite part of the store was actually a small case in the corner full of antique eyeglasses. Each one was labeled with its approximate date of creation and had a little info about its original design or use.
Part museum, part storybook, part retail eyeglass shop. Definitely worth seeing if you’re in Trolley Square.