Woodbridge, NJ [March 6, 2026] – As the Northern and Central New Jersey retail markets mark a milestone of five consecutive years of positive net absorption, NAI DiLeo-Bram & Co. (NAIDB) continues to serve as a strategic engine behind the region’s most–notable franchise expansions. By leveraging deep-rooted industry relationships and an entrepreneurial approach, the firm is successfully bridging the gap between national concepts and premium local retail real estate opportunities.
“Our retail professionals deliver exceptional advisory services, aligned with clients at every stage – from defining strategy to implementing and executing transactions,” said David A. Simon, COO.
According to the market specialists at NAIDB, the current market shift underscores a growing consumer appetite for experiential and specialized food and beverage offerings. The firm has been at the forefront of this trend, recently facilitating two landmark transactions introducing high-profile brands to the Garden State while also completing several notable transactions on behalf of franchises with an established presence.
In Forked River, NJ, NAIDB recently secured a 2,000-square-foot lease in a tenant representation assignment for KSPH Ventures LLC (DBA Tim Hortons) at 245 Main Street. The property, a former White Castle drive-thru owned by Sunrise Pointe LP, introduces the major international coffee and baked goods brand to Lacey Township and marks a new coffeehouse option for the local Ocean County consumer base.
It is the thirteenth franchise in the state for Canada’s largest restaurant chain founded in 1964. Menu items include hot and iced coffee and espresso, a wide selection of beverages, breakfast sandwiches, lunch options, donuts and its trademark Timbits, bite-sized donut holes.
Simultaneously, in Hamilton Township, Wegu, LLC (DBA Blue Print Cookies) committed to 1,033 square feet at The Shoppes at AMC (199 Sloan Ave.). This lease represents the first New Jersey location for the handcrafted cookie brand, highlighting the state’s status as a primary destination for growing boutique concepts. Once the location is fully operational, Blue Print Cookies will offer its award-winning chocolate chip cookies along with a special monthly line up of bold cookie flavor options, including vegan and gluten free.
While “Big Box” retailers typically dominate site-selection headlines, NAIDB is engineering a new playbook for franchisees, from coffeehouse and baked-goods concepts to convenience stores and markets.
“Our goal is to provide local operators with the same level of sophisticated market data and negotiation leverage typically reserved for national giants,” said Jennifer Harrison, vice president, who arranged the Tim Hortons and Blue Print Cookies leases. “By tapping into our long-standing relationships, we are giving entrepreneurial small business owners unprecedented access to premium locations, which in turn stimulates growth – and consumer excitement – within the local communities.”
NAIDB Associate Vice President Kelly Bayer attributes this success to the firm’s internal synergy. “Our collaborative, open environment allows us to move with the agility that the current retail market demands,” she said. “We don’t just find spaces; we build growth strategies for brands, particularly among specialty food and beverage concepts of late.”
NAIDB’s recent transaction history reflects a broad expertise across all retail uses. Notable successes include securing a statewide footprint for Smoothie King across three locations from Central to North Jersey. The latest is a newly opened store in Rochelle Park, NJ [Bergen County].
Beyond the food sector, the firm also recently orchestrated the complex disposition of a former Speedway to a regional fuel-and-convenience operator and is currently spearheading an exclusive marketing assignment for a five-property portfolio in North Brunswick. In the sports and entertainment space, NAIDB recently represented The Nine, an indoor golf franchise, in securing 3,241 SF in Englewood and DBat, an indoor batting concept, in leasing 12,040 SF in Englishtown.
Other notable transactions handled by NAIDB on behalf of parent companies and/or franchisees include the sale of a 30,000-SF industrial property in Essex County, where NAIDB represented the tenant, a global brand of gourmet pastries, coffee and tea that is using the property to service all of its newly established and planned East Coast retail-shop openings as well as 7,000-square-foot showroom lease along Route 27 in Edison, marking the first New Jersey showroom for Innovation Kitchen & Bathroom.
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