Plain Talk Archives Index

Three More Restaurant Trends That Will Outlast the Pandemic (6/1/2022)
From national chains to local mom‑and‑pop operators, the pandemic has been partciularly hard on the restaurant industry. While some restaurants were able to adapt to changing consumer . . .

Easy As Pie: Using Data to Connect New Customers with Old Traditions (5/5/2022)
For Meredith and Scott Layton, pies are more than just much‑loved family recipes – they’re the heart of their southern pie shop . . .

New Analytical Tools Enable Restaurant Brands to Identify, Validate and Acquire Recently ... (3/10/2022)
COVID’s impact on the restaurant industry has been significant, forcing “more than 100,000 mostly independent restaurant operators to close,” . . .

Leading Assisted Stretching Franchise Extends Reach to Washington DC; Announces New Development (2/22/2022)
StretchLab Signs Franchise Agreement with Seasoned Entrepreneur; Highly Trained Flexologists™ to Alter Local Wellness Scene

Three Restaurant Trends That Will Outlast the Pandemic (2/3/2022)
In March 2020, the pandemic caused a massive shift in consumer behavior. Almost overnight, the world went from dining out for happy hours, brunches, and birthday dinners to cooking almost every meal at home.
This had a drastic impact . . .

Franchise Best Practices from a Successful Franchisee: What You Need to Know (1/6/2022)
With four independent franchised Orangetheory Fitness locations under his belt, Mark Molina has learned a thing or two about owning and operating franchises over the past . . .

How Brokers Can Benefit from Using Mobile GPS Data (11/18/2021)
With the commercial real estate industry as competitive as it is, brokers must always be looking for ways to stay on top of the competition. One way they can do that is with . . .

Zoom Room Achieves Record Growth and Quadruples Its Footprint Across the Country (10/29/2021)
Revolutionary Dog Training Organization Exhibits Impressive Expansion Nationwide

Back to School: Creative Ways to Repurpose Buildings for Education (9/30/2021)
Healthcare isn’t the only industry moving into nontraditional spaces like department stores, malls, and other retail centers. For many education organizations, the opportunity to rezone and repurpose an existing space is both more sustainable and more budget friendly than . . .

How the CRE Industry Should Evaluate Trade Areas (8/27/2021)
Radius rings and demographics have long been the standard way of evaluating trade areas in the commercial real estate industry. But just because that’s how it’s always been done doesn’t mean that’s how it should be . . .

Trends in Repurposing Vacant Department Stores (8/12/2021)
For years, the rise in e‑commerce has played a significant role in the decline of brick‑and‑mortar department stores across the country. The pandemic, which forced businesses to close and customers to move . . .

The Rise of the Tech‑Enabled Broker: Trends to Watch in 2021 (7/15/2021)
The rise of technology has leveled the playing field in industries of every kind, and commercial real estate is no exception. Though the adoption has been slow, tech is changing the way brokers evaluate opportunities, make decisions, and . . .

Using Location Analytics to Vet Retail Real Estate Investments (6/4/2021)
All real estate investments come with a measure of risk, but managing risk in the retail real estate industry can be especially challenging for . . .

3 Tips for Making the Most of Your Community’s ARPA Funds (5/13/2021)
Well over a year into the COVID‑19 pandemic, relief for communities across the country may be on the horizon. Along with the rising vaccination rates, the American Rescue Plan Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund offers economic . . .

Defining the Restaurant of the Future (4/22/2021)
The U.S. restaurant industry has faced some interesting challenges in recent years. An industry that was once called “Amazon proof” now navigates a host of third‑party food delivery services. Consumer tastes and spending habits have continued to shift – sometimes in favor . . .

Investing in Pandemic‑Induced Commercial Real Estate Vacancies: Land of Opportunity or ... (4/8/2021)
Pre‑pandemic, it was pretty much a given that a failed location for one tenant led to negative assumptions about the site. It made brands cautious about relocating there for fear of reliving someone else’s mistake. But the fallout from COVID‑19 has brought up . . .

Keeping up with Your Competitors: Are Location Analytics the New Secret Weapon? (3/25/2021)
It’s classic business wisdom: when defining your strategies and tactics, you need to understand the competitive environment. No business operates in a vacuum. What are your competitors . . .

A New Way of Approaching Tenant Recruitment (3/11/2021)
The success of brokers, developers, and commercial property owners ultimately rests on their ability to attract tenants. Unless you are lucky enough to represent a property with a waiting list of eager tenants, tenant recruitment is likely an important . . .

3 Factors That Will Impact Economic Development in 2021 (2/25/2021)
As we leave 2020 behind and dive into 2021, it’s become clearer and clearer that the world we once knew has changed, in some ways . . .

Black Friday Consumer Foot Traffic Data Reveals What’s Happening to Malls and Retail Tenants (12/3/2020)
Commercial real estate industry professionals are watching this year’s holiday retailing season with interest. Tenant bankruptcies, closures, and other cash flow difficulties have made it a difficult year for retail real estate property owners, investors, and developers. A good holiday shopping season for retailers has . . .

10 Steps to a Successful Business Retention and Expansion Program (11/12/2020)
Although new business recruitment is a priority of many economic development strategies, business retention and expansion should be an integral economic development policy to ascertain the health of existing businesses in a community.

The Future of Retail: An Update for Community Leaders (9/17/2020)
In March 2020, when most of the country “shut down,” many thought it was a temporary measure and some considered it overly cautious. As the weeks have turned into months . . .

Building Consumer Confidence in the Tourism and Hospitality Industries (8/20/2020)
Worldwide, COVID‑19 has wreaked havoc on the tourism and hospitality industries, and the length of economic recovery is still unknown. Tourism and hospitality play an important role in the local economies of many communities. As businesses start to slowly and cautiously reopen, how can you and your local businesses inspire . . .

Evaluating Investment Opportunities as the Economic Recovery Begins (7/30/2020)
The rapidly evolving consumer behavior and resulting economic challenges sparked by the COVID‑19 pandemic are poised to leave a dramatic mark on many . . .

Strong Consumer Demand Fuels 18% Rise in U.S. Retail Sales in May 2020 (7/9/2020)
In a happy turn of events for the retail industry, U.S. retail sales rose nearly 18% month‑over‑month in May 2020, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce. While sales have not yet returned to pre‑lockdown levels, May’s sales figures reveal . . .

3 Steps Retailers and Restaurants Need to Take in Response to Evolving Customer Behavior (6/16/2020)
Customer engagement with the retail and restaurant industries is constantly evolving. Lifestyles and preferences change. Technology introduces new ways of interacting with brands. Expectations shift.
The COVID‑19 pandemic, however, introduced rapid and pronounced changes in . . .

COVID‑19: Where’s the Risk? (5/7/2020)
The COVID‑19 pandemic hit the U.S. hard and fast, leaving organizations in all industries scrambling to assess the risk and take appropriate steps to ensure the safety of their employees and customers.

Not “Business as Usual”: How Communities Can Support Local Businesses During the COVID-19 Pandemic (4/2/2020)
And now we wait. Waiting patiently does not come naturally, so this is hard. We want to find the problem and fix it, fight it, remove it, but that’s not possible right now. So, what can you, as a community leader, do to help . . .

Retail and Restaurant Real Estate Trends to Watch in 2020 (2/20/2020)
The retail and restaurant industries are constantly evolving. To help retail and restaurant decision makers navigate the changing environment, Buxton surveys our subject matter experts to identify the most important retail and restaurant real estate trends each year. The following . . .

Restaurant Strategy: 4 Tips for Winning in Today’s Marketplace (1/2/2020)
Once upon a time, defining a restaurant strategy was a fairly straight forward process. Competition was clearly defined. Distribution channels were limited to in-person dining and perhaps some catering. Consumers spent a growing portion . . .

Prioritizing Retail Recruitment Strategies (12/5/2019)
Retail recruitment requires a multi‑faceted strategy so that when the economic development team approaches a targeted retailer, they’ve done their homework. The team needs to understand the company, its culture, and its expansion goals, and to report with confidence how . . .

3 Steps for Success in Moving Healthcare Services to Retail Centers (11/21/2019)
Healthcare providers have been gradually moving into retail centers for a number of years now, but the trend has finally gained . . .

Thinking Beyond Residents: Defining Your Community’s True Consumer Base (11/7/2019)
No matter what your industry, defining who your customers are and how many of them there are is a critical process in planning for your next move. Without that crucial information, you end up ...

Where Should You Grow? Identifying Healthcare Market Opportunity (10/24/2019)
Opening new healthcare facilities isn’t the same process that it used to be. The old “If you build it, they will come” mantra is no longer a guarantee, which means providers need to take a hard look at ...

New Study Shows the Retail Industry Isn’t Struggling as Much as You May Think (10/3/2019)
Today’s news headlines scream the end of the retail industry as we know it. This “retail apocalypse” has been discussed so often that it is embraced as fact.
But is it true?

Territory Optimization: A Game‑Changer for Growing Franchises (8/22/2019)
Today’s franchisors face two big challenges: identifying the best territories for expansion and then developing those territories to the fullest. Through territory optimization, franchisors can . . .

5 Tips for Recruiting Franchisees to Your Community (8/8/2019)
During the retail and restaurant attraction process, city government leaders often face the challenge of recruiting franchisees. The reason is simple: many retail and restaurant projects require . . .

How Mobile GPS Data Can Take You Where You Want To Go (7/18/2019)
Sometimes, companies will come to us for customer insights, but they lack the data necessary for in‑depth analytics. In these instances, mobile GPS data technology can be an effective solution. In addition to assisting with customer profiles and behavioral analyses, mobile GPS data offers other benefits . . .

What Diners Expect at Restaurants – Insights From RLC (5/16/2019)
As younger generations gain buying power, their preferences and expectations are having an impact on the restaurant industry across all sectors.

All Customers Are Not Alike: Improving Profitability in the Restaurant Space (5/9/2019)
It’s no secret that the restaurant industry is oversaturated, especially in the quick-serve and fast casual categories and sales are . . .

3 Applications of Mobile GPS Data for Brokers and Developers (5/2/2019)
Developing retail commercial real estate requires a substantial investment of resources including money, property, and time. Keen developers are willing to commit these resources because they understand that the payoff can be well worth it. However, . . .

Customer Analytics the Key to Success for Online Retailers Opening Brick-and-Mortar Stores (4/18/2019)
Once upon a time, everyone thought that online retailers represented the future of the retail industry. But as these brands have matured, they quickly discovered that physical stores have an important role to play in reaching new customers and driving ...

Commercial Due Diligence Report Checklist (4/4/2019)
Commercial due diligence is an important aspect of the pre-investment process for private equity firms. Today, traditional commercial due diligence has been greatly improved by the introduction of ...

Building Blocks of Customer Analytics: Laying the Foundation With Customer Data (3/28/2019)
Customer analytics is a type of market research that is a powerful tool for B2C brands. It can be applied to real estate, marketing, operations, and many other areas of your business.

Understanding the 3 Primary Types of Healthcare Site Selection Models (3/14/2019)
As the healthcare industry continues to shift to a consumer-centric strategy, a growing number of providers are implementing site selection models to guide their real estate decisions. Real estate site selection models come with many unfamiliar ...

How to Put Your Tourism Market Analysis Into Action Through Targeted Marketing (2/28/2019)
Congratulations! You took the first step toward enhancing your tourism development strategy by conducting a tourism market analysis.
Now what’s next?

Understanding the Role of a Growth Potential Analysis in Commercial Due Diligence (2/14/2019)
If you have worked in private equity for any length of time, you are likely familiar with the concept of a growth potential analysis. This type of analysis is referred to ...

Using Predictive Analytics to Inform Add‑On Targeting for Platform Investments (1/31/2019)
The buy-and-build strategy has become a go-to play in every general partner’s (GP’s) playbook. Roughly half of all buyouts in 2017 and a third of all buyouts in Q1 of 2018 have been add‑ons to existing platforms.

Targeted Marketing: What the C-Suite Needs to Know (1/17/2019)
For many business leaders in the c-suite, targeted marketing services can be a confusing web of unfamiliar terminology and seemingly pointless expenses.

3 Trends Retail and Restaurant Real Estate Pros Should Watch in 2019 (1/3/2019)
Real estate professionals know that the retail and restaurant industries are constantly changing. Those changes can have big implications for retail real estate strategies. While there are many trends influencing the retail and restaurant industries today, there is one overarching theme ...

What You Could be Missing Without Data Analytics (12/13/2018)

3 Tips for Evaluating Franchise Marketing Systems (12/6/2018)

Defining Your Restaurant Site Selection Process (11/22/2018)

How to Expand Businesses: Four Best Practices for Small and Medium Sized Brands (11/8/2018)

Strategic Site Selection: 3 Best Practices for Consumer Businesses (11/1/2018)

Restaurant Industry Trends Watch: Eating Local, Experiential Dining and Delivery (10/11/2018)

3 Reasons to Consider a Tourism Analysis (10/4/2018)

3 Stages of Business Growth and How to Navigate Them (9/20/2018)

How Local Marketing Can Strengthen Your Restaurant Franchise Network (9/6/2018)

How to Get More From Your Customer Satisfaction Data (8/23/2018)

Marketing Basics for Successful Business Attraction and Community Development (8/15/2018)

3 Tips for Franchise Territory Mapping to Streamline the Franchise Sales Process (8/2/2018)