We’re going to try something different. Most weeks, we write about retailing, real estate concepts, processes, clients and cardinal rules…and I don’t think we’ve ever really made Pedal the center of the story. 

Today and for the next few weeks, we’re taking center stage. Which, you may not be surprised to hear, is a perfectly happy place for us seeing as Abby honed her stage skills over many summers at theater camp, and Sheila won the top prize for her persuasive senior speech in 1999. Netflix! Call us!

Anyhow, here’s why we’re going to talk about us.

Pedal is the only commercial real estate brokerage that focuses on independent and start-up retailers. Seriously, Google it, ...

When things aren’t coming together on a deal, we revisit the “BLTS” with Pedal Retailers to figure out where we can flex. As a reminder, the “BLTS” are the four fundamental pillars of your real estate criteria - budget, location, timing and space criteria. Most of the time, we flex on location and start to look at a different or broader mix of neighborhoods. Sometimes, we flex on the budget or space criteria, but it’s rare that we flex on timing. 

When it comes to flexing on timing, Emily, owner of District DabbleLab, could teach a master class.

First, here’s the background on District DabbleLab…

Bethesda native Emily started District DabbleLab in 2019 out of her basement as...

Some of the most successful Pedal Retailers are called to open their businesses because they can’t find what they’re looking for anywhere else. District Champagne, Merry Pin, and Jurisdiction Clothing all spring to mind. They knew there was demand for their business because they felt it themselves, and when they couldn’t take it anymore, they took action to create what was missing.

Jill Adams’ Pink Moon is one of these businesses that simply had to be born. As a Bethesda mother of three young children, Jill was painfully aware of her (and her friends’) struggle to find time and space to prioritize mental and physical health with a community of other mothers that was not only supportive...

As new retailers we expect to sacrifice our weekends and holidays, dry-clean-only clothing, and possibly our lower backs. But we do not have to sacrifice our mental health, personal relationships, or overall well-being.

When you're planning your business, you have the opportunity and obligation to carve out the boundaries that will make your business sustainable for the long term.

Your lease will run five to ten years, so it's critical that you build a "sustainable" model that will allow you to stay healthy, stay married (if you want), participate in your child's life, etc.

So how do you do this? Start with the ideal scenario. The realities of the numbers and the things outside of your co...

Remember the “I was today years old when I learned…” moment on TikTok where we all learned a lot of trivia like Australia is wider than the moon? Or the IRL moment when Sheila (at 35) finally figured out that Free Slurpee Day is always on July 11th (get it? 7/11!)

Today, we have one for you: big retailers are able to thrive in commercial real estate (when mom-and-pops struggle) because… retail real estate is actually a core business function for these larger companies. 

Think about it -- if you’re Starbucks, your real estate is not something you have to deal with periodically… it’s an everyday thing. You’re constantly opening stores, closing stores, renewing leases, making modif...

It’s that time again. Whether you love or loathe the holidays (it’s probably a mix), we’re all about to pull out our wallets and buy stuff out of tradition, love, and obligation. This is, of course, the perfect time to put our money where our mouths are and support the small, independent businesses we so value.

Let’s take a moment to consider “Black Friday” for a second. You remember why it’s called “black,” right? November and December are the months when many retail businesses are most profitable, and their bottom line numbers appear in black (rather than red) on their P&L reports. 

While the big “doorbuster” deals at giant national retailers like Best Buy and Walmart really put Bl...

🎶So no one told you life was gonna be this wayyyyy 🎶

If you clapped along, you’re ahead of the curve - today, we’re talking about friends. (With a lowercase “f” – but reply to this email if you’d like us to dissect Central Perk’s ☕️ real estate choices.)

We’ve heard it said that you find out who your real friends are when you open a business. It takes courage to go after your dreams, and you’ve got to get seriously vulnerable if you’re going to open a brick-and-mortar business because EVERYONE is (hopefully) watching 👀.

And so, it’s natural to want a bestie or two in your corner to 📣 pump you up along the way – and, it’s natural to assume your community of friends is going to be ...

I (Abby) do not have any tattoos. This will come as a surprise to many, who are surely thinking “but she SO cool and edgy. So counterculture! She really makes redlines seem punk rock.” 👩🏻‍🎤

I do, however, have a number of retail real estate truisms that would come in handy if I ever DID have them tattooed on my body. Chief among them? “EVERYTHING IS NEGOTIABLE”

As we negotiate our deals, Pedal Retailers learn this is true. Pedal Retailers save $115,000 on average per lease – and that’s just just the tip of the iceberg. 

✅ Need three months free after you open to ramp up sales? Let’s ask for it.

✅ Need short term parking out front for online order pickup? Let’s ask for it.