Back in 1958, full-service gasoline cost a mere 25 cents a gallon. Elvis Presley was inducted into the Army. The Hula Hoop was introduced and Ed Sullivan’s variety show was big on TV.
That same year, Newport Avenue Optometry opened its doors for business at 4822 Newport Ave., between Cable Street and Sunset Cliffs Boulevard in Ocean Beach.
This year, Newport Avenue Optometry celebrates its 50th anniversary.
Donald Mitchell was the original proprietor. In 1995, Dr. Eli Ben-Moshe joined him, and the two worked together until two years ago, when Mitchell decided to retire. However, Mitchell still drops by to visit a few times a week, since he maintains an interest in the business and lives only a couple of blocks away.
The business’s look has changed over the years. Ben-Moshe remodeled the building in 2000, doubling its size. More recently, a cosmetic remodel in 2007 produced the serene modern look of the office today.
Most of the establishment’s patients, both old and new, appear to have little but praise for the place and the service they receive there.
That kind of client contentment undoubtedly stems from the doctors’ emphasis on patient care, with their motto of “Quality care. Every patient, every time.”
Ben-Moshe says he and his associate, Dr. Betty Youndt, make sure that “We listen more than we talk.”
They also have a no-waiting policy, unusual in a professional office.
“I decided when I was in graduate school that I wouldn’t make patients wait,” said Ben-Moshe.
Most of their patients are locals from Ocean Beach and Point Loma.
The office is often first in adopting current innovations, such as the new instrument set to arrive early in August for use in measuring for bifocals. It will avoid many of the typical problems experienced by people when adapting to bifocals, Ben-Moshe said.
The practice also specializes in children’s vision. In addition, Newport Optometry fits different kinds of contact lenses, such as those for people with dry eyes or astigmatism. And for patients in a hurry, one-hour service for glasses is available.
Much has changed since Mitchell opened his office doors in 1958. Just out of school, he wanted to set up business in a professional building, but the Newport Avenue location was the only place available in Ocean Beach.
Mitchell quickly became part of the OB community, becoming a member of the Kiwanis Club as well as a member of both the Ocean Beach and Point Loma chambers of commerce.
What was Ocean Beach like in those early days?
“When we opened, Ocean Beach had everything you might want,” Mitchell said.
“It was better than a shopping center. We had a movie theater, two drugstores, stores selling men’s and women’s clothing, furniture. Nice restaurants. We had everything you needed,” he said.
He remembers when the Kiwanis planted trees up and down Newport Avenue. And he recalls that big parades, with marching bands and local beauty queens, used to regularly grace the streets of Ocean Beach.
In his retirement, Mitchell enjoys spending time with his wife and gardening at home. Living nearby, he usually drops in at the office three times a week to say hello.
“It’s like a second home to me,” Mitchell said.
Ben-Moshe said he loves his work there equally.
“I look forward to work every day,” Ben-Moshe said.