David Cattell

Commercial Real Estate Consultant

Over 30 years of experience in all aspects of Corporate Real Estate & Construction

Dave Cattell is an independent corporate real estate, design, and construction advisor with nationwide and international experience in the expansion of retail, restaurant, and assisted living properties.

Headshot of David Cattell

Corporate Real Estate Advisor

  • Nationwide end-to-end Services
  • Transactions Advisory Services
  • Corporate Tenant Representation
  • Due Diligence
  • Lease Negotiations
  • Fail-Safe PRE-CAPEX Review
  • Network / Portfolio Strategy
  • Construction Oversight
  • International Experience

Site Selection Consultant

  • Restaurant / Retail / Hospitality Site Selection
  • Site Criteria Development & Refinement
  • Market Analysis
  • Competitive Assessment
  • Site Surveys
  • Identify Available Financial Incentives

Litigation Support Expert Witness

  • Over 30 years of nationwide restaurant experience
  • Franchisor or Franchisee
  • Plaintiff or Defense
  • Financial Damages Analysis
  • Comprehensive Written Reports
  • Uses Established Industry Standards and State of the Art Methodologies
  • Special Interest: Protected Territory Encroachment

Testimonials

Headshot of Linda Day Harrison

"I've had the pleasure of getting to know Dave over the last few years as a colleague in the technology area of commercial real estate. Meeting and getting to know Dave has been a genuine gift in my life. I have enjoyed every single interaction with Dave, and most recently was part of a panel discussion with him in Chicago. It was truly an amazing and educational experience. I am so fortunate to have met Dave and I hope we get to collaborate on more projects in the future. I deeply thank Dave for all his wisdom and encouragement!"

Linda Day Harrison - Founder of theBrokerList


"Very simply, David is the finest retail corporate real estate executive in the nation. I have worked for David with two companies and learned almost everything I know about real estate from him. I owe my career to him and so do many others in corporate real estate today. He is a prolific developer of people and a skillful strategist and tactician."

Robert Sorrell - Restaurant/Retail/Healthcare Real Estate Deal Maker and Leader

Headshot of Robert Sorrell

Headshot of Michael Kaufman

"Dave was an energetic, thoughtful, and highly successful member of the Metromedia Restaurant Group senior management team. He helped develop the important growth strategy for Bennigan's and implemented the real estate/development component with skill and business savvy. Dave always kept first and foremost in mind the company's future sustainable financial performance, and so only brought deals in that were negotiated to maximize solid outcomes. Dave was always willing to take on additional responsibilities that benefited from his business acumen and negotiating prowess."

Michael Kaufman - Former CEO, Metromedia Restaurant Group


"I worked closely with Dave Cattell while he was Chief Development Officer at Ruth's Chris Steak House. Dave was very meticulous in his selection of sites and understood the details required for a successful location. I appreciated Dave’s interest in design and architecture since it allowed us to focus on creating and developing distinctive concepts relevant to the fabric of each location. An example was the Ruth's Chris Steak House located in Anaheim, we were able to create a restaurant that honored Ruth's Chris Steak House's New Orleans heritage in a unique way. Dave's direction, knowledge and experience were instrumental in the success of the design of that restaurant and many others."

Derek Kitabayashi - President, KITAbayashi Design Studio

Headshot of Robert Sorrell

Dave's Story

After graduating with a B.S. degree in Real Estate Administration from the Indiana University School of Business, Dave began his 30 + year nationwide career in corporate real estate and construction. He later returned and completed an MBA from IU. Dave's corporate real estate career has taken him to every state in the U.S and internationally to Canada, Mexico, Central America and Ukraine. His first real estate job was with Kroger supermarkets, for fifteen years led real estate development at KFC and he eventually served as Chief Development Officer for Ruth's Chris Steak House. In total, Dave was responsible for the development 2,000 + restaurants. He developed fifteen assisted living communities and has functioned as an expert witness in franchisor v. franchisee matters, often related to territory disputes.

Dave is a broker in Florida and Indiana. He represents commercial property owners and corporate end-users in matters related to site selection, network strategies, development, negotiations, and property management.

David Cattell, CCIM (# 3425) earned the designation in 1989 and was the first person to earn the MCR (Master of Corporate Real Estate) in 1982 from NACORE (National Association of Corporate Real Estate Executives), now operating as CoreNet Global.

Services Provided:

  • Assists franchisors and franchisees, create reasonable and achievable development plans and schedules for full build-out of proposed territory
  • Manages capital investment risk providing confidential Pre-Capex Approval Review and provides an impartial opinion in a written report to C-Suite management
  • Testifies as a subject matter expert in commercial real estate disputes and litigation
  • Function as a Landlord or Tenant Rep in commercial real estate matters

Qualifications:

  • 30+ years of nation-wide and international commercial corporate real estate experience in the restaurant, hospitality, assisted living, and retail industries
  • Directly responsible for the development of 2,000 + restaurants
  • Sold more than 500 surplus Quick Service and Casual dining properties
  • Real Estate and Construction Manager for a major grocery chain
  • CCIM (Certified Commercial Investment Member) elite designation held since 1989 and by only 6 percent of commercial real estate practitioners worldwide
  • Senior development executive for two Fortune 50 and one Fortune 250 companies
  • B.S. Real Estate Administration, Indiana University
  • MBA, Indiana University
  • Licensed Real Estate Broker in Indiana and Florida
  • Licensed Real Estate Instructor in Florida