Finding local operators who could bring a good concept to another district

The obvious tenant for a vacant shop may be running a good business in a different part of the region. A broker can find that operator by studying places that work like the subject property: similar shopping trips, similar premises, and a comparable price point.

ICSC describes this recruitment method in Improving Tenant Mix. Its guidance includes visiting comparable districts and approaching established operators. It also notes the practical advantage of a business that has already learned to manage more than one location. That is a useful lead-selection principle, not a guarantee that the next store will succeed.

Find a meaningful comparison

Two centers can have the same grocery anchor and still serve different trips. One catches a quick stop on the way home. The other has a restaurant cluster that keeps people around in the evening. Compare the surroundings and how people use them before copying either tenant roster.

Start with two or three places you can describe concretely. Look at the storefront format, convenient access, nearby uses, menu or merchandise pricing, and opening hours. Record where the comparison breaks down. A good comparable rarely matches every feature, but the differences should be visible in your reasoning.

Inspect what makes the business appealing

A high rating is a useful discovery signal. It becomes more informative when you understand the offering behind it. Does the business have a recognizable product, a service routine, and a format that could operate in another location? Or does much of the appeal depend on a waterfront view, an unusual building, or one practitioner?

Michael Luca’s research on Yelp and restaurant demand found revenue effects for independent restaurants in the studied market. It did not establish that a well-reviewed operator can finance or manage another location. Google ratings in other business categories should not be treated as if the study tested them.

Keep strong single-site operators in the search

Multiple locations give you more operating history to inspect, but making them compulsory would remove the very businesses that could be ready for a second site. Keep a promising independent eligible and mark expansion interest as unknown until the owner tells you otherwise.

When there are several branches, check that they belong to the same trading concept and operator. Compare the actual formats. A flagship, concession, and full-service shop should not be counted as three demonstrations of an identical model.

Offer a specific reason to take the call

The opening message should show that you understand the current business. Mention the comparable setting, the known feature of your unit, and the question you want to explore. Asking whether a compact version of the concept could work is more productive than declaring that the owner is ready to expand.

If the answer is no, ask whether the obstacle is timing, staffing, geography, or the building. Respect that answer. A popular business can be exactly the size its owner wants it to be.

For the first message, use the principles in our tenant outreach email guide, with the comparison you actually verified.

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