‘Eatertainment’ A Cornerstone of the New Retail

Seferian: “The trend toward nimbler, smaller spaces will continue, with increases in food-hall venues and multiple users in the same building.”

NEWPORT BEACH, CA—Restaurants are a large part of today’s open-air centers and continue to be heralded and highly recognized as big consumer draws, CBRE’s recently appointed first VP Mark Seferian tells GlobeSt.com. Seferian recently joined the company’s national restaurant practice; he was previously real estate director for one of the world’s largest casual-dining companies, Bloomin’ Brands Inc., where he oversaw all real estate development activity in the Western US for core brands such as Outback Steakhouse, Bonefish Grill, Carrabba’s Italian Grill and Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar. We spoke exclusively with Seferian about the casual-dining trend and where he sees it heading.

GlobeSt.com: How did the casual-dining craze evolve to the point where it is now?