Delaware Family Eyecare will celebrate its grand opening on Monday, May 9.

The event is open to the community and will include free food and refreshments, a kids’ coloring contest, and a ribbon-cutting ceremony. “We’re just inviting the community into our space,” said Dr. Steven Kocher.

Although the practice has already been seeing patients for about a month, the grand opening will mark the official end of months of preparation. After deciding to open his own practice, Kocher took over the old Foot and Ankle Wellness Center property at 29 Grandview Ave.

With his family’s help, he remade the property. “I think our place has kind of a different feel than most medical facilities,” he said. This “different feel” is reflected in the practice’s handmade display frames, wooden dispensing tables and shining finished-concrete floor.

The unique feel of Delaware Family Eyecare is, however, not limited only to its unique design. It can also be seen in the interactions of Kocher and his staff. Including Kocher, three people work at the practice. The size of the staff lends itself to a feeling of community within the practice as they work together as a team. “All three of us answer phones and bill insurances,” Kocher said. “We wear many hats.”

Kocher said he is committed to working with the community and offering products and services for “every member of the family.” So far, the practice has been represented at First Fridays and community events such as Healthy Kids Day at the YMCA. “We are committed to being on the sidewalk every Friday for First Fridays,” he said.

Aysha Snyder has been instrumental in helping Kocher to prepare the practice for patients and is now working as an optician-in-training at the practice, he said. What makes the practice unique, according to her, is that “we want our patients to feel like family.”

The grand opening will be held at the practice at 29 Grandview Ave. from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m.

More information about the event and the practice in general can be found at https://www.facebook.com/delawarefamilyeyecare/.

Dr. Steven Kocher and Aysha Snyder will be at the Delaware Family Eyecare open house next Monday. http://aimmedianetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2016/05/web1_IMG_0292.jpg Dr. Steven Kocher and Aysha Snyder will be at the Delaware Family Eyecare open house next Monday. Megan Neary | For The Gazette

By Megan Neary For The Gazette

Megan Neary can be reached at neary.38@buckeyemail.osu.edu.

Megan Neary can be reached at neary.38@buckeyemail.osu.edu.