Shelley Sandzer returns home to launch international team

Leading specialist UK leisure property agency, Shelley Sandzer, has appointed Philip Sandzer, co-founder of the business, to launch a division to work with international operators seeking to expand into the UK, as well as established UK brands wishing to launch overseas.  Philip is returning as a consultant partner 14 years after he handed the reins to joint managing partners, Ted Schama and Nick Weir.

Complementing Shelley Sandzer’s existing leasing, agency and professional teams,the international division will build on the company’s exemplary track-record, which includes securing the London debut sites for Sushisamba, Duddell’s, Din Tai Fung and Five Guys. 

Shelley Sandzer has become one of the industry’s highest profile and best-regarded leisure property agencies, working with many of the leading landlords and operators in the country.  In addition to the leasing and agency teams, led by Ted and Nick respectively, Shelley Sandzer’s professional team, run by Duncan Lillie and Victoria Oates, has become the landlord and tenant benchmark for rent reviews and valuations in the sector. 

Commenting on the launch of the international division, Ted Schama, joint managing partner, said: “Driven by the sheer size of the residential population and its reputation as a global tourism hotspot, London is an in-demand location for international brands.  As significantly, the capital’s success creates a desire amongst many operators to expand to other global cities and that trend is set to continue in 2019. This strong two-way demand makes it the ideal time to build on our momentum, and there is no better person to lead the new Shelley Sandzer international team than Philip.  We are delighted he is returning to the business.” 

According to data from CACI, London attracts £6.7bn of F&B spend per year from residents and workers, with a further £1.4bn spent by the 19.8 million tourists that visit the capital every year.  The average catering spend on a trip into central London is 80% greater than the rest of the UK and 1 in 3 trips include an element of F&B spend, versus 1 in 4 for the rest of the UK.

Philip Sandzer added: “I have watched Shelley Sandzer go from strength-to-strength over the last 14 years and so it is very exciting to be joining Ted, Nick, Duncan and Victoria to take the business into another period of growth. I believe there is a gap in the international market for a strategic, proactive consultancy, and I am confident Shelley Sandzer is uniquely placed to fulfil that need.  We will provide a highly effective service to facilitate brands’ expansion plans, be it launching in London or growing their businesses in other key world cities.”

The launch of Shelley Sandzer’s international team follows a successful 12 months for the company, during which it re-branded, moved to new offices, and secured the London debuts of Old Chang Kee from Singapore, Bunco from Turkey, and Taiwan’s YiFang to name a few.

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For further information, please contact:

Lottie Croker at Aver on 07827667638 or lottiecroker@averpr.com,or Jack Tonks on 07951814183 or jacktonks@averpr.com.