DALLAS--Michael Walters is president of Falcon Realty Advisors' restaurant and entertainment division. Currently, he is charged with directing the expansions of six new-to-DFW restaurant chains including Modmarket and The Rock-Wood Fired Kitchen. He recently talked to GlobeSt.com's Anna Caplan.

GlobeSt.com: How did you get into the current field that you are in?

Michael Walters: I majored in finance and real estate and enjoyed the real estate field. I interviewed at a few different companies and found Falcon which felt like the best fit. It is a very entrepreneurial shop and I had an opportunity to shadow and learn from some of the best in the real estate industry. I started 30 years ago after owning and operating a construction company in the metroplex. Real estate was a natural next fit for me.

Describe what Falcon does in 50 words or less.

We exclusively advise retail and restaurant/lifestyle tenants in real estate strategy, marrying their long-term goals with store placement and rollout execution.

What is it about DFW that makes the area so desirable for companies to expand here?

DFW is one of the highest growth markets in the country. With over 6.8 million people and growing, it is a great market for any restaurant or retailer to plant their flag. We have a fairly low cost of living, fantastic schools and huge job growth. We also spend a lot of our social time going out and eating at restaurants which is a reason restaurants do so well here.

Your company is being charged with developing/rolling out six new-to-DFW restaurant brands. How did this come about? Is this the busiest time the company has seen?

We currently are rolling out nine new concepts to the market, two of which are yet to be announced, on top of the [six]. This is a very busy time for our company, especially the restaurant and entertainment group. Having a specific focus on restaurants and tenant representation, having great relationships with brokers and developers in our market and the experience our company brings to the table, has given us the opportunity to work with such great concepts.

Tell us about one of the brands you're most excited to bring to the area.

I'm truly excited about all of the concepts that are opening in this market. Each is unique in its own way and all have three things in common: Their food is excellent, they have fantastic operations and customer service and they are ahead of the curve in what today's consumer wants.

How do you go about choosing locations for the restaurants?

We put together an overall market strategy based on each client's targeted criteria and make sure each site has great visibility for the brand, good access to the site and fits well into the community.

For instance, why did you choose Flower Mound as the area's first for Modmarket?

Flower Mound is a great market and one we knew we wanted to be in at some point. The timing of a good site being developed and being opportunistic landed us there first.

Any other new brands on the horizon that you're excited about?

I am very excited about a couple of the unannounced new restaurants we are bringing to DFW. It is a blast working with such great restaurateurs, but its even better having the ability to be a patron at them!

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