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San Francisco Retail & Restaurants Conference

Name: San Francisco Retail & Restaurants Conference
Start: 2023-09-19T08:00:00-07:00
End: 2023-09-19T11:00:00-07:00
Location: Hyatt Regency San Francisco

EXPLORING THE FUTURE OF BRICK-AND-MORTAR, REVITALIZING UNION SQUARE, AND ATTRACTING AND RETAINING TENANTS IN TODAY'S MARKET

Event Ended On: Tuesday September 19 2023

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Speakers and Panels

State of San Francisco's RETAIL AND RESTAURANTS

Reinvigorating San Francisco's Retail Scene, Exploring the Future of Restaurants, Market Challenges, Profitability, and Financing

Michael Van Every

Michael Van Every is the President and Managing Partner of Republic Urban Properties, the Bay Area flagship of the Republic Family of Companies. Mr. Van Every works with Federal, State, and Local governments on the creation and development of ‘smart growth’ projects, such as master-planned communities near transportation hubs; urban mixed-use projects near major employment centers; and innovative, public-private partnerships. The Republic Family of Companies is known for developing institutional-quality real estate throughout the United States, from land development, to historic adaptive reuse, to shopping malls. In his 25 years of working experience representing major institutional and private real estate developers in the greater Bay Area, Van Every has earned the reputation as a man with the leadership, the knowledge, the experience, and tenacity to see complicated projects through from land acquisition to completion. Under Van Every’s leadership, RUP has gained national attention for its Transit Oriented Development (TOD) projects at key transit stations working as the premier public-private partner with many transit authorities across California. Since 2006, as the managing partner of RUP, Van Every has been involved with the planning, financing, construction, and delivery of 1,238 multifamily units and 145,000 square feet of mixed-use commercial space. In addition to the multifamily pipeline, RUP has approximately 380 hotels rooms, 151,000 square feet of office, and 120,000 square feet of retail in various stages of development. The estimated market value among projects is projected at $1.5 billion in value. A third-generation San Jose native, Van Every holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from California State University at Fresno. Van Every is an active member of San Jose Rotary Club as well as the Silicon Valley Leadership Group. He also serves as a Board Member on Santa Clara County Catholic Charities. Michael is married and lives with his wife Jennifer and Jacob in the Willow Glen Neighborhood of San Jose.

Republic Urban Properties

President and Managing Partner

Michael Van Every

President and Managing Partner, Republic Urban Properties

Marisa Rodriguez

Marisa Rodriguez is the CEO of Union Square Alliance, a downtown association dedicated to enhancing San Francisco's Union Square District, a key destination and economic center for the Bay Area. Spanning 27 city blocks and accounting for $21 billion in assessed rates, it makes up 3% of the city's total assessed value. Under her leadership, she has led the Alliance to new heights, elevating its role as a destination marketing organization and reshaping the narrative of the square to attract visitors. Rodriguez, a visionary and solutions-driven leader, was brought in to help catalyze a turnaround in the district and meet the challenges of the post-pandemic era. She has crafted a forward-thinking strategy that reimagines the crucial role of zoning and other key elements for the long-term health and vitality of the district. Her goal is to help support the area’s transformation into a thriving urban neighborhood that is well-positioned to succeed in the 21st century. Rodriguez understands that strategic partnerships and collective work with community leaders, legislators, and other key decision-makers are crucial to achieving success. Her track record of creating positive change in various industries, including tourism, law enforcement, and nonprofit management, attests to her exceptional leadership skills. She believes that a safe and clean environment is the foundation for any successful community, as she often says, 'You cannot pass-go without clean and safe.' She has successfully implemented solutions that keep the visitor experience top of mind, given the 12,000 hotel rooms in the district. She also champions the safety of Union Square's workers and residents. Additionally, she has worked to help legislate policies that create flexible zoning to attract new business, ensuring the continued growth of the district. Her commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion is another defining aspect of her career. She continues to prioritize these values by ensuring that Union Square is attractive to everyone as a place for celebrating life's moments coining the phrase, “There is something for everyone in Union Square.” Post-pandemic, her leadership was critical in navigating the challenges and pivoting effectively. As a result, footfall has increased by ~102% YOY (July ‘21 vs. ‘22). Currently, she is envisioning the next phase of Union Square by developing the 2022 Union Square Alliance Strategic Plan. Her plan has been embraced by the community, Mayor London Breed, Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin, and various key department heads.

Union Square Alliance

CEO

Marisa Rodriguez

CEO, Union Square Alliance

Pete Sittnick

Pete Sittnick is a longstanding operator on the San Francisco restaurant scene who has served as director of project development at Pat Kuleto Restaurants since joining the company in 2001. Sittnick has opened, operated, and supervised more than twenty restaurants in the San Francisco Bay Area and across the country, including Martini House, and Kuleto's Italian Restaurant. He has been the managing partner with Pat Kuleto at Waterbar and EPIC Steak on the Embarcadero since their 2008 opening, and in 2011, Sittnick became the executive director of restaurant operations for Pat Kuleto Restaurants, which includes Boulevard, Farallon and Jardiniere. Sittnick has 30 years of experience in the Bay Area restaurant industry. He first teamed with Pat Kuleto in 1988 when he was the General Manager of Kuleto's Italian Restaurant on Powell Street in Union Square. Under his direction and in partnership with Pat's design of the innovative Italian eatery, Kuleto's achieved annual sales revenue of over (9 million and won both local and international acclaim. During his 12-year career with the Kimpton Group, first as a General Manager and working his way up as Regional Director of Operations, Sittnick was responsible for opening and operating many highly successful Kimpton restaurants such as Splendido, Grand Cafe, Harry Denton's and Puccini & Pinetti. Based on the success of the first model, he opened a second Kuleto's in Burlingame and other distinctive restaurants in Portland, Seattle, Denver, and Salt Lake City. His role as an integral part of Kimpton's management team helped grow their restaurant portfolio from 4 to 25 in less than a decade. He credits the late Bill Kimpton as his foremost mentor and motivator in the hospitality business. Sittnick grew up in Michigan and received his business degree from the University of Michigan. He currently serves as the President of Board of Directors of the Golden Gate Restaurant Association and is involved in many charitable fundraisers in the Bay Area. Additionally, Sittnick teaches voluntarily at the hospitality programs at City College and the University of San Francisco.

EPIC Steak

Managing Partner

Bringing 40 years of experience in fine dining operations

Pete Sittnick

Managing Partner, EPIC Steak

Cyrus Sanandaji

Managing Principal, Presidio Bay Ventures

Karl Hasz

President, Hasz Construction

Moderator

Ali McEvoy

Partner, Retail, Maven Commercial

Attracting and Retaining Tenants in a Volatile Market

Discussing the Next Wave of Retail and Restaurants, Lease Structures, Incentives, Site Selection, and Design Trends

Laurie Thomas

Executive Director, Golden Gate Restaurant Association

Working on Mission Rock, one of San Francisco's largest mixed-use projects

Alexandra Collins

Director, Development, Tishman Speyer

Bob Partrite

COO, Simco Restaurants

Kristin Anderson

President & CEO, Eric F. Anderson

Keith Morris

Principal, Studio KDA

Moderator

Jonah Trotz

Senior Associate, Farella Braun + Martel

What You'll Learn From This Commercial Real Estate Event:

What You’ll Learn From San Francisco CRE Leaders:

Considering the closure of Nordstrom's Union Square store, as well as the growing number of other retailers following suit and contributing to the decline of San Francisco's retail market, what measures are the city and developers taking to rejuvenate Union Square, and attract and retain tenants?
With future uncertainty in the market, how are tenants, landlords, and brokers negotiating lease deals right now?
What does the next era of retail look like in San Francisco? How are new developments/designs adapting to evolving demands?
How are restaurant owners looking at site selection, space, and lease deals in today's market?
What is the role of restaurants in creating foot traffic and uplifting the retail ecosystem in San Francisco?
- What are some creative ways to draw people to back restaurants and create foot traffic in San Francisco's core locations?
San Francisco retailers are fighting back the e-commerce boom with interactive technologies. What types of technologies are playing a pivotal role in bringing people into brick-and-mortar stores?
- What are some ways to create a unique customer experience?
- What are some of the new trends in retail technology?
How is Prop D, the commercial vacancy tax going to affect the retail market?
How do private developers and owners work with the city to elevate SF’s retail market?

Projects To Be Discussed During The Session:

These are some key projects in the area that our panelists will be discussing. Read more about these developments by clicking on the links below.

How You’ll Do More Business From Attending This Conference: San Francisco’s brick-and-mortar market has been going through a rocky road due to volatile market conditions, and concerns about safety. However, according to Marcus & Millichap's report, retailers will take over 350,000 square feet of space off the market this year, marking the largest net absorption total in San Francisco since 2013. With numerous new ways to create foot traffic and keep customers engaged, San Francisco is fighting to keep brick-and-mortar alive. Join us and enhance your business by gaining insight into what trends shape the retail and restaurant sectors, how brands overcome economic and safety issues, and how they create unique experiences and find ways to capture customers.

Who You’ll Meet During Networking: Owners, developers, investors, brokers, city and government officials, business consultants, architects, engineers, lawyers, accountants, and bankers.

Why You Should Attend This Summit: Bisnow events bring together the biggest power players in the industry to identify opportunities, build your network and expand your business. With the largest audience of commercial real estate professionals in the world, no one knows how to help your business more than us.

For questions, recommendations, comments, or press inquiries please email our Event Producer, Bora Altunay at bora.altunay@bisnow.com.

To request disability-related accommodations, please contact thea.parkert@bisnow.com no later than seven business days prior to the event.

Venue

Hyatt Regency San Francisco
5 Embarcadero Center
San Francisco CA 94111

Ballroom Name/Floor: Grand Ballroom/foyer

Parking Information:

Hotel offers a special event day valet parking rate of $18 an hour.

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Agenda

Time	Activity
8:00 AM 9:00 AM	Breakfast & Networking
9:00 AM 9:45 AM	Attracting and Retaining Tenants in a Volatile Market - Discussing Lease Structures, Incentives, Permitting, Site Selection and Design Trends - From Storefronts and Malls to Restaurants, How are Brands Curating Unique Customer Experiences?
9:45 AM 10:00 AM	Networking Break
10:00 AM 10:45 AM	State of San Francisco's Retail and Restaurants Reinvigorating San Francisco's Retail Scene, Exploring the Future of Restaurants, Market Challenges, Profitability, and Financing
10:45 AM 11:15 AM	Closing Networking