OUR STORY

MOSCOT, a New York City retail institution for nearly 100 years, is a global eyewear and lifestyle brand known worldwide for its iconic eyewear – The MOSCOT Originals, MOSCOT Titanium, and MOSCOT Spirit Collections.

The MOSCOT optical roots were first planted in America by great grandfather and family patriarch, Hyman Moscot, who arrived from Eastern Europe via Ellis Island in 1899. Hyman began selling ready-made eyeglasses from a pushcart on Orchard Street on Manhattan’s famed Lower East Side, quickly establishing himself as the “go-to” guy for glasses.

In 1925, Hyman’s son, Sol, joined the family business, and at the tender age of 15, he opened the family’s first retail shop, MOSCOT’s, at 94 Rivington Street. The business moved several times, but in 1950 it settled at 118 Orchard Street, on the corner of Delancey Street, where it remains to this day.



In 1951, Sol’s son, Joel, began presiding over the “House of MOSCOT” with the same sense of honor, devotion, values and business principles that his father had. Charming, dedicated, and devoted to his customers, Joel quickly made his mark – successfully running the business and conveying the family’s values to his sons, who would soon become the fourth generation of Moscots to run the shop.

Joel’s son, Dr. Harvey Moscot, entered the family business in 1986, with both his Doctor of Optometry degree (with honors) and a thorough understanding of the optical business – knowledge he acquired from summers spent working alongside his father and grandfather, Sol, throughout high school and college.
 

In 1992, Joel’s youngest son, Kenny Moscot, eagerly entered the family business with a degree in finance and Opticianry, a passion for business, a love of eyewear and a thirst for creating tangible products that would help propel MOSCOT into a global eyewear company.

Shortly thereafter the family opened its second shop located at 69 West 14th Street, on the corner of Sixth Avenue in downtown Manhattan, which remains the company’s flagship location today.

Today, MOSCOT eyewear collections and branded accessories are sold to fans worldwide via moscot.com, in the company’s New York City-based retail shops, and in specialty boutiques

 

and optical shops across the US, Europe, Australia, Asia and Canada.

As President of MOSCOT, Kenny Moscot leads the company’s strategic growth and branded product design, carefully curating the MOSCOT brand and overall creative direction to ensure that as the company grows, the brand remains true to its core downtown New York City heritage and sensibilities.

As Vice President and Director of Eyecare, Dr. Harvey Moscot oversees all aspects of MOSCOT Eyecare’s state-of the-art eye health care facility, ensuring it is at the forefront of technology and patient care. He also oversees retail store management and employee training so that MOSCOT continues to deliver world-class customer service to its eyewear customers for generations to come.

Together, the fourth generation Moscot siblings proudly run the company with their mission: “To offer the best possible optical experience to customers and patients by dispensing warmth, courtesy and expertise.”