Fully Occupied

Robert Kluger, Chief Development Officer at Kura Sushi, joins Matt to share the story behind Kura Sushi, a revolving sushi bar restaurant originating from Japan. He discusses how Kura Sushi leverages technology, such as revolving sushi belts and drink robots, to enhance labor efficiency and create unforgettable customer experiences. Robert, who has held leadership roles at industry giants like Panda Express, Panera Bread, and Blaze Pizza, also shares his personal expertise in scaling restaurant brands and selecting prime real estate in today's competitive market.About Robert KlugerMr. Kluger has served as Chief Development Officer of Kura Sushi USA since May 2020. Most recently, Mr. Kluger served for four years as Senior Vice President of Development and Vice President of Real Estate for Blaze Pizza, LLC, a fast casual artisan pizza brand with approximately 340 units worldwide. Blaze Pizza added over 200 franchise-operated restaurants during Mr. Kluger's tenure. Prior to Blaze Pizza, he spend 6 years at Panera Bread, the largest bakery-café concept in the U.S. also with a presence in Canada, as their Senior Development Manager. During his first 3 years at Panera Bread, Mr. Kluger rapidly grew Panera Bread's footprint in Southern California opening both company and franchise operated bakery-cafés, then in his last 3 years was charged with leading franchise development nationwide. During Mr. Kluger's tenure, Panera Bread opened approximately 800 bakery-cafes. Previously, he spent 12 years at Panda Restaurant Group and held various roles including Vice President of Real Estate. Panda Restaurant Group, parent to Panda Express, Panda Inn and Hibachi San is the largest quick service Chinese restaurant chain in the U.S. and internationally. Mr. Kluger was charged with growing Panda Express in traditional and non-traditional venues across the United States. Panda Express opened approximately 1,300 restaurants during Mr. Kluger's tenure. Mr. Kluger started his career in field operations and a corporate capital planner and financial analyst at The Vons Companies Inc., at the time the largest grocery chain in Southern California with over 300 units and $5 billion in total sales. About Kura SushiSince the opening of its first restaurant in 1977, our parent company, Kura Corporation and Kura Sushi USA have grown to over 600 locations across Japan, Taiwan, and the United States. As pioneers of the “revolving sushi” concept, the Kura family of companies have improved upon the idea and developed innovative systems that combine advanced technology, premium ingredients, and affordable prices to create a unique revolving sushi dining experience.We pay particular attention to the taste, sourcing, and preparation of all of our dishes. Nothing is more important to sushi than the rice and the vinegar. We evaluated over 100 varieties of rice before selecting the perfect one to mix with our secret vinegar recipe. Also, our philosophy of “muten” or “nothing added” is an ongoing promise that our food is prepared using natural ingredients with no additives or artificial preservatives.

Akash Kapoor, Founder and CEO of Curry Up Now and Mortar & Pestle Bar, shares his journey from turning a single food truck into a rapidly expanding global franchise. Akash discusses the challenges of scaling, lessons learned in franchising, and his vision for the future of fast-casual dining. Tune in for insights into the evolution of a brand blending bold flavors with innovative growth strategies! About Curry Up Now California is home to the largest population of Indians outside of India and our style of cooking is ~9,000 miles and ~125 years in the making. Traditional rituals with flavor-forward flair. Firmly familiar to some and fantastically fun for all. Indian at heart while Californian in spirit. This is your Auntie's tikka wrapped in your Tía's burrito...Bombay tandoori riding with Bay Area burgers...New Delhi naan if pizza-fied by SoCal surfers. You've had thalis and kathis and biryanis in the past. But this is Curry Up Now: the hyphenated hero of the Indo-Californian kitchen, remixing street food from the Land of Spices with culinary classics from the Land of Dreams.

Kendall Whitaker from Zucker Investment Group (ZIG) dives into the vital role of real estate development and growth equity in the QSR space. Kendall explores the significance of location selection, the rise of modular build-out concepts, and effective capital structures for syndicating deals with investors. He shares ZIG's approach to partnering with QSR operators, offering strategic support that allows franchisees to focus on growth while ZIG handles real estate complexities. From regional real estate trends to maximizing EBITDA in exit strategies, Kendall provides a roadmap for QSR success built on scalable, data-driven development solutions. ABOUT KENDALL WHITAKER: Kendall heads up ZIG's Quick Service Restaurant Platform. By leveraging his deep understanding of franchise capital stacks, real estate site selection, and expertise in the restaurant M&A process, Kendall enables his partners to achieve exceptional growth. Prior to joining the ZIG team, Kendall was a Top 5 Rookie Agent Nationally for a publicly traded Insurance Agency before entering into the retail tenant representation world in 2022 and joining ZIG in May of 2023. He is a graduate of the University of Alabama. ABOUT ZUCKER INVESTMENT GROUP (ZIG): Zucker Investment Group (ZIG) is a strategic capital firm operating at the nexus of real estate development and growth equity. Leveraging its expertise in site selection, creative financing, and strategic exits, ZIG empowers its partners to drive exceptional growth and achieve superior exit outcomes. In addition to serving as a real estate and capital partner to various franchisees, ZIG is also a franchisee of AFC Urgent Care and Smalls Sliders.

Mike LaRue is the VP of Franchise Development at Angry Chickz and a seasoned expert in the franchise space, particularly in the emerging brands sector. He joins Matt to share how emerging brands can strategically scale in a competitive market, the importance of storytelling in building a brand, and the 3 key considerations for successful brand development.

Dan Rowe is the Founder and CEO of Fransmart, one of the largest restaurant franchise development firms in the world. Fransmart specializes in finding the next big thing at the earliest stages and has sold over 5,000 franchises worldwide. He joins Matt to share his extensive experience in the franchise world, discussing the strategies for identifying and developing successful restaurant brands. Dan emphasizes the importance of authentic brand DNA, strong unit economics, and the right franchisee selection. Tune in for valuable advice for first-time franchisees!

Eddie Gonzalez is the founder of CRE8 Advisors and a seasoned expert in the retail brokerage industry. Eddie shares his journey from the hospitality sector to becoming a trusted name in Phoenix's competitive retail real estate market. He reveals how his background in hospitality has shaped his client-centric approach, emphasizing the importance of exceptional customer service and personalized attention. Tune in to hear Eddie's expert perspective on how creativity and a personalized touch can make all the difference in a dynamic and ever-changing market.

Julie Whelan, Global Head of Occupier Thought Leadership at CBRE, dives into CBRE's recent report on "Shaping Tomorrow's Cities". She discusses the future of American cities and the impact of remote work on the office market. She emphasizes the need for cities to transform into vibrant mixed-use environments that offer more than just office space. The report also highlights the different archetypes of cities and the challenges and opportunities they face.

Edie Weintraub advises new + established retail, hospitality, and restaurant brands on their real estate growth strategy. Edie joins Matt to chat about the idea of *Local First Retail Real Estate Strategies* to integrate your brand into the fabric of the local community. Tune in to gain insights into how Edie supports local retailers, beauty shops, and restaurant tenants with their location expansion plans.

Auren Hoffman, CEO of SafeGraph discusses the challenges of data matching and the solution provided by Placekey. He also explores the impact of AI and LLMs on data availability and pricing. Tune in to learn about the benefits of seamlessly joining disparate datasets.

Pepper Lunch is a fast-casual Japanese hot plate concept that originated in Tokyo, Japan, and is poised for explosive growth in North America over the coming years. Troy Hooper, CEO, and Dana Hathaitham, Director of Real Estate & Development, share their rapid expansion strategy involving both corporate and multi-unit franchise deals in the United States market. They discuss all the considerations to make when planning restaurant real estate growth from 5 to 500 locations. Tune in for their franchise, real estate, and hospitality expertise!

Shawn Walchef is the owner of Cali BBQ and Cali BBQ Media. He discusses the early challenges he faced as a restaurant owner, how he learned to use the internet and social media to his advantage, and shares his insights on building a successful restaurant brand in the digital age. Shawn emphasizes the importance of leveraging technology and storytelling to market a business effectively and the need for entrepreneurs to build their digital brand from the start.

Solomon Choi is a seasoned F&B entrepreneur, investor, and advisor with over 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry. He is the founder of 16 Handles and Greeno Products and is currently the CEO of Jabba Brands. Solomon joins Matt to discuss the importance of product-market fit and understanding consumer preferences, the challenges and opportunities in the restaurant space, and the significance of conducting thorough due diligence. Tune in for his experiences in helping emerging brands navigate the complexities of scaling and franchising.

Stephanie Cegielski, Vice President of Research and Public Relations at ICSC, joins Matt to discuss the trends defining the future of retail and retail real estate. She highlights the importance of brick-and-mortar stores and the synergy between online and physical retail. ICSC declares 2024 as the Year of the Store, as consumers continue to value the in-store experience. Make sure to register for ICSC LAS VEGAS happening May 19-21, 2024 at the Las Vegas Convention Center!

Paul Tran is a seasoned entrepreneur with a history of founding, scaling, and selling successful restaurants and franchisees, including the largest franchisee of The Halal Guys. He shares his experiences with growing a portfolio of franchise sites and advice on what aspiring franchisees should look for. Tune in for Paul's insights on how to build a successful franchise empire and restaurant brand.

Ben Berman, President of BermanCRE, joins Matt to talk about the current state of the leasing market. He discusses opportunities in the retail and industrial markets, the impact of COVID-19 on the industry, and the disconnect between capital markets and the leasing market. Tune in for his advice on how landlords bolster their portfolios to withstand unstable economic conditions.

Robert Cartwright, Head of Global Hospitality at Fidelity Investments, discusses the implementation of hospitality in the workplace. He joins Matt to share his background in the hotel industry and how he brought his expertise to Fidelity. Despite the challenges of the pandemic, Rob and his team leveraged the situation to redefine the employee experience. Tune in as he shares effective strategies for creating a workplace culture that prioritizes employee well-being, leading to increased productivity and satisfaction.

Gary Kao is the SVP of Business Development and Operations and on the founding team at Dealpath, a platform with a mission to smooth out the workflows for transactions for institutional owners. He joins Matt Giffune to share Dealpath's story, platform capabilities, its evolution over the last 9 years, and what they have in store for the future. Tune in for Gary's predictions on what the future of real estate tech looks like for the rest of 2023 and beyond!

Meredith Danberg-Ficarelli is the Co-Founder and CEO of WATS (Waste Administration and Tracking Software). She joins Matt to talk about how commercial buildings can improve the way they handle all the waste produced on a daily basis. Meredith shares how she built WATS to help owners and tenants track all of the waste that gets generated through their commercial spaces.

Pickleball has become America's fastest-growing sport, and Ace Pickleball Club is the leader in developing premium indoor pickleball facilities. Chief Growth Officer, Diego Pacheco, joins Matt to talk about their real estate strategy, what they look for in deals, and how they're developing over 50 franchises across the United States. Tune in to learn more about the trending sport and how Ace Pickleball Club is keeping up with the demand.

Ethan Chernofsky is the SVP of Marketing at Placer.ai, a foot traffic analytics platform for anyone with a stake in the physical world. Ethan joins Matt to discuss how retailers and retail investors can use analytics and data to make better decisions for not only store locations, but how they connect with their audiences. The trends he's seeing at Placer line up with what we're seeing here at Occupier, so tune in for his insights into what the future of retail holds!

Dillon Okner is a Co-Founder of SiteRise, a platform that helps companies, especially emerging retail brands, centralize their entire process for site selection and build out door opening for retail stores. Dillon has over 15 years of experience building out in-house software to help brands like Apple and Tesla expand their initial retail presence. He joins Matt to talk about some of the key challenges that retailers face when it comes to store planning, and how can technology solutions address these challenges.

Brandon Peterson is the CEO & Founder of Geokey, a mobile access control platform that has revolutionized the way multi-family apartment communities manage and secure their access points. He joins Matt to share how Geokey can help developers, investors, and property managers increase NOI and operational efficiency.

Kristina Tipton is the Director of Market Research at Near, a global, full-stack data intelligence platform that curates one of the world's largest sources of intelligence on people and places. Kristina joins Matt to share trends and findings from a recent CRE report. To understand the emerging trends in shopping centers, Near analyzed consumer behavior data for malls across the US. Tune in for data insights on shopping centers and how that data helps inform CRE decision-makers.

Len Dugow is the Founder and CEO of DASH, a revolutionary PropTech platform that provides a one-stop solution for a licensed residential real estate agent's marketing needs. He shares how his career as an executive branding and marketing luxury residential platforms led him to realize that there's a better way to share content about residential properties with brokers, agents, and developers. Tune in to learn how DASH helps efficiently access accurate and up-to-date content of new construction projects.

Chris Ressa is the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at DLC Management, one of the nation's leading retail real estate companies with properties across the US. Chris joins Matt to discuss the debate of digital vs. physical stores. They also dive into Chris's predictions on where the retail real estate market is headed. Chris is also the host of the Retail Retold Podcast.

Michael Broder is the founder of RCKRBX, a SAAS platform that's providing voice-of-the-customer (VOC) data to multifamily developers and owners. For years, the multifamily industry has made decisions based on anecdotal evidence, making it difficult to draw clear hypotheses, quantify business cases, and mitigate risk-particularly as tenant preferences are not properly accounted for. RCKRBX is moving developers to data-based evidence to where and how they should locate, build, and conform their multifamily buildings.

Gas stations are evolving beyond their traditional roles. Michael Salafia joins Matt to talk about how the gas stations that STAX Equity builds and operates, like SQRL, are so much more than just a place to fill up. But rather, safe places to eat, grab a coffee and charge your electric vehicle.

Jesse Stein, Airbnb's Global Head of Real Estate, joins Matt to talk about the recently-launched and fast-growing Airbnb-Friendly Apartments program. Airbnb-Friendly Apartments allow renters to find apartments that they can list part-time on Airbnb to earn extra income as the cost of living continues to rise across the country. Over the last six months, Airbnb has grown the program from 175 participating buildings in 25 markets to more than 250 participating buildings across 37 markets in the U.S.

Tyler Carlson is the Co-Founder of Resquared, a local business prospecting platform that uses artificial intelligence to search and contact small business owners in any U.S. or Canada markets. They have data for retail, restaurant, office, medical, and light industrial uses. Tyler joins Matt to discuss the importance of having accessible data and how technology is changing the commercial real estate space. Tune in for his tips on selling to local businesses!

Aaron Brondum is the Vice President of Customer Success at Prescriptive Data. Prescriptive Data is focused on providing cost savings and enhanced thermal comfort in built spaces through the intersection of Operational Technology (OT) with Information Technology (IT). Aaron joins Matt to talk about how commercial real estate owners can use artificial intelligence to help drive down energy usage and be more prescriptive about how energy is used in buildings.

Simon Davis, Founder and CEO of Purposeful Intent, returns to Fully Occupied to talk about the changes in work-life balance in the commercial real estate industry. He and Matt discuss the return to work debate and how to manage the new distributed workforce. Purposeful Intent is an ongoing series of curated executive forums enabling open discussions and thought leadership around the Future of Work and the Future of Living.

As the commercial real estate sector continues to grow more than ever, it's important for professionals to stay ahead of the curve. Whether it's more efficient prospecting, deal-making, management, or investing, it's become abundantly clear that data sharing is key. Michael Mandel, Co-Founder and CEO of CompStak, joins Matt to discuss the importance of lease comparable data and how CompStak is helping people make better real estate decisions.

Kyle Inserra is a 17-year restaurant industry veteran and commercial real estate professional who leverages his experiences to help restaurants develop more efficient operations, implement effective strategies, and establish comprehensive growth plans. He joins Matt to discuss the current trends and challenges facing the restaurant industry. Tune in for Kyle's strategies for expanding a restaurant business and growing its real estate portfolio, and to learn what his favorite cuisine is!

Austin Lo is the Founder and CEO of Peek, a complete solution for property owners and managers to deliver an immersive self-serve leasing experience that's available to renters 24/7–online or in-person. The pandemic sped up an already-rapid change in the multifamily industry – digitization and centralization. But many building owners and managers are having trouble keeping up with the changing tides. Austin joins Matt this week to talk about this shift to centralization, and the role of technology in creating all-in-one systems for building managers and owners that simplify the leasing process.

Mike Hart, Chief Information Officer at Avison Young, joins Matt this week to talk about the evolution of commercial real estate (CRE) data and how technology shapes the industry. Mike has seen the industry go from using manual processes to collect and analyze data, to technological advancements that make it much easier to access and analyze data. The use of technology creates transparency in CRE data and a connection with clients, as they are increasingly seeking data-driven insights to inform their real estate decisions. Tune in for Mike's insights into the evolution of CRE data and how proptech is shaping the brokerage space.

Karly Iacono, Senior Vice President at CBRE and Host of the CRE Fast Five Podcast, joins Matt this week to discuss the ever-changing retail real estate market. Karly shares the trends and strategies she's seeing retailers deploy when scaling brick & mortar portfolios. Tune in for Karly's industry insights and advice for investors looking into the retail real estate space.

Lauren Bahr and Denise Hinkle introduce a 3-part series to cover Occupier's 3 keys to accelerating your real estate initiatives: Organization, Consistency, and Product (OCP!). In Part 3, Lauren and Denise dive into how leveraging a software product can amplify your real estate process and the considerations when assessing your business's software vendor and product options. Tune in for practical tips in selecting the right software and real-world examples for implementing these strategies in your own real estate initiatives.

Lauren Bahr and Denise Hinkle introduce a 3-part series to cover Occupier's 3 keys to accelerating your real estate initiatives: Organization, Consistency, and Product (OCP!). In Part 2, Lauren and Denise emphasize the importance of consistency to achieve real estate goals. Consistency includes staying positive, focusing on growth, and developing resilience in the face of setbacks. Tune in for their advice on how to develop consistent habits and routines.

Lauren Bahr and Denise Hinkle introduce a 3-part series to cover Occupier's 3 keys to accelerating your real estate initiatives: Organization, Consistency, and Product (OCP!). In Part 1, Lauren and Denise dive into the importance of organization - creating a strong foundation, defining clear goals, and implementing effective systems. They share their insights, experiences, and advice for accelerating real estate initiatives through better organization, communication, and collaboration.

This week, Matt is joined by Iain Miln, the Senior Vice President of Development at essensys. The essensys Platform has been designed and developed to help solve the complex operational faced by landlords and flex workspace providers as they scale. It connects, controls, and automates the provisioning and delivery of digital services, such as enterprise-grade WiFi, access control, room-booking, and seamless connectivity cross-portfolio and building-wide. Iain and Matt discuss the rise in the flex workspace trend, how technology is improving landlord's and occupier's experiences, and how companies today are enabling digital workplaces.

Amy Calandrino, CCIM, SIOR is the Founding Principal of Beyond Commercial, a Certified Women Business Enterprise (WBE) and Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) certified commercial real estate firm based out of Orlando, Florida. She joins Matt to discuss her experiences and expertise in helping small businesses with their commercial real estate needs and managing their time efficiently. Tune in for Amy's insights on the local area, and perspective on negotiations, and to learn what her day-to-day is like!

Paul J. Massey is the CEO of B6 Real Estate Advisors, a commercial real estate investment sales company that lives at the intersection of people, data, and technology. B6 provides commercial real estate owners and stakeholders with a next-generation experience to optimize their investments through territory-specific investment sales. Paul shares his insights on the state of the commercial real estate market and where it's headed. Tune in to learn about Paul's vast experiences in CRE in New York, and his run for mayor!

This week, Matt is joined by Jason Hardy, the Co-Founder and CEO at Ownly. Ownly brings e-commerce to the residential real estate industry, creating a frictionless home-buying experience. They discuss how the platform makes real estate transactions easier through its proprietary and patent-pending technology, connecting qualified buyers and sellers.

Kris Krisco is the CEO of Buildout, an all-in-one commercial real estate platform that enables brokerages to become leaders in their markets and grow their businesses faster. The cloud-based solution provides unique time-saving benefits by automating the document creation process and streamlining everything else involved in listings properties. Kris shares with Matt how the pains he was experiencing as a broker led to the inception of Buildout, the importance for brokers to adopt technology, and what the future looks like for commercial real estate brokers.

This week Matt is joined by Lydia Winkler, Co-Founder and COO of RentCheck. RentCheck technology helps property operators reduce expenses by empowering residents in the inspection process. They discuss the importance of involving tenants through the process and how guided inspections built for residents can help property managers increase profits, increase visibility, and improve resident satisfaction. Tune in to learn how RentCheck makes inspections easier and saves time by enabling residents to complete them on their own.

Demian Repucci is the CEO and Founder of Parslii, a research and scoring system that produces property reports for urban commercial retail and restaurant properties. As a former restaurant owner, Demian shares his experiences in the commercial real estate, hospitality, and restaurant industries and how that led to the idea for Parslii. Demian and Matt discuss what it's like to rent retail space for a restaurant, the key data points needed in the retail real estate space, and where Parslii fits in to improve the tenant experience in the leasing process.

This week, we have a special podcast episode diving into our ASC 842 Survival Kit best practices to help you attain lease accounting compliance. No matter how many leases you have, the transition to the new ASC 842 standards may be overwhelming. Lauren Bahr, CPA and VP of Finance at Occupier, goes over some common ASC 842 implementation pitfalls, and her top ASC 842 survival tips. For more ASC 842 resources, check out our ASC 842 Survival Kit.

To kickstart 2023, we are mixing up our regular CRE content. And bringing Anya Ostry of CBRE, back on with her husband, Tonal Fitness Coach Jackson Bloore. Jackson joins Matt to talk about actionable steps to improve your health and wellness. If you're a hardworking professional or just looking to get started on your New Years' fitness resolutions, tune in for advice and guidance from Jackson!

For our last episode of the year, Andrew Flint, Co-Founder of Occupier, joins Matt to summarize what they are seeing in the commercial real estate and proptech space in 2022. They discuss trends across the retail, restaurant, office, and healthcare industries, inflation and economic uncertainty, and share their predictions for 2023. Read Occupier's 2022 Year in Review: https://www.occupier.com/blog/2022-year-in-review/

Lauren Bahr, VP of Finance at Occupier, was recently a guest on The Role Forward Podcast, hosted by Joe Michalowski from Mosaic. Lauren talks about why people still use spreadsheets and Excel, despite technological advances. She also discusses how to keep the finance and accounting professions alive. Tune in to learn why the future of finance and accounting is all about automation and how to optimize your lease accounting and management processes leveraging technology. Disclosure: This episode originally aired on The Role Forward Podcast on November 28th, 2022.

Paul Stanton is the Co-Founder and Partner at Proptech Bankers, a boutique investment bank focused exclusively on the property technology industry. Paul joins Matt to talk about the current state of the capital markets for proptech companies including recent valuations, M&A activity, and future of the industry. Tune in for Paul's predictions for consolidation, M&A, valuations, and fundraising in the proptech space for the next 12 months.