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Spencer Levy is a Senior Vice President with the New York Tri-State Region Retail Advisory & Transaction Services Group. He comes to CBRE after a two-decade long career in the hospitality industry and a 14-year tenure with RKF where he specialized in restaurant leasing and consulting. With an equal emphasis on landlord and tenant representation, Mr. Levy has successfully represented some of the nation’s highest-profile clients bringing an inimitable value-added perspective to his lease negotiations.
As a Tenant representative, he re-negotiated and extended the 6,000-SF Morandi Restaurant for Keith McNally; secured 7,000 SF for Sant Ambroeus at Brookfield Place; 14,000 SF at the Grace Building for Chef Gabriel Kruether; secured 6,200-SF location at 40 Central Park South for Sarabeth’s; represented Mr. Chow’s in its purchase of an 18,000-SF restaurant at 121 Hudson Street; secured Magnolia Bakery’s flagship location at the Rockefeller Center Townhouse; and secured Fourth Wall Restaurant Group’s (Stillman) 13,000-SF restaurant at 360 Park Avenue South.
On the landlord side, Mr. Levy has extensive leasing experience with large-format re-purposed and new construction projects, hotels as well as independent street retail spaces. He represents landlords such as Hines, Howard Hughes, United American Land, AFI-USA, RFR Realty, Imperial Companies and Disney. His recent notable landlord transactions include the leasing of 11,000 SF for Hines at 53 West 53rd to Altamarea Group, more than 115,000 SF of combined spaces to high-profile tenants: Jean-Georges (food hall and restaurant), NoHo Hospitality and David Chang at Howard Hughes’ South Street Seaport. Mr. Levy was an integral part of AFI-USA’s redevelopment of the Times Square Building at 229 West 43rd Street and was solely responsible for the disposition of the 14,000-SF restaurant Tabla for Union Square Hospitality Group at 11 Madison Avenue. Mr. Levy was responsible for the leasing of 4,500 SF at 323 West Broadway to the acclaimed restaurant Michelangelo Mamo and leased Il Buco Alimentari & Vineria at 53 Great Jones Street. On behalf of Toll Brothers at 49 West 64th Street, Mr. Levy leased 11,000 SF of prime restaurant space to Blue Water Grill, for Imperial Companies negotiated the 17,000-SF restaurant, Legacy Records and for El-Ad Properties was responsible for the leasing of the world-renowned Oak Room at the Plaza Hotel. Additionally, he recently oversaw the RFP and negotiations for the 78,000-SF food and beverage program of Chestlen’s new dual-branded W Hotel and Element Hotel in Philadelphia, placing LDV Hospitality as Manager.
Prior to joining RKF, Spencer was the Executive Chef/Sole Proprietor of Spencer Restaurant, a white-tablecloth restaurant in Gramercy Park, as well as Executive Chef of Delmonico’s and The Monkey Bar, all well-respected restaurants in Manhattan. After selling his restaurant, he spent several years as an independent consultant and business coach for restaurateurs including a two-year position as the Director of Operations for Bamboo Bernie’s in St. Maarten, NA, where he coordinated the opening and set the standards for this 46,000-SF Polynesian-style resort restaurant and entertainment facility.
As a Tenant representative, he re-negotiated and extended the 6,000-SF Morandi Restaurant for Keith McNally; secured 7,000 SF for Sant Ambroeus at Brookfield Place; 14,000 SF at the Grace Building for Chef Gabriel Kruether; secured 6,200-SF location at 40 Central Park South for Sarabeth’s; represented Mr. Chow’s in its purchase of an 18,000-SF restaurant at 121 Hudson Street; secured Magnolia Bakery’s flagship location at the Rockefeller Center Townhouse; and secured Fourth Wall Restaurant Group’s (Stillman) 13,000-SF restaurant at 360 Park Avenue South.
On the landlord side, Mr. Levy has extensive leasing experience with large-format re-purposed and new construction projects, hotels as well as independent street retail spaces. He represents landlords such as Hines, Howard Hughes, United American Land, AFI-USA, RFR Realty, Imperial Companies and Disney. His recent notable landlord transactions include the leasing of 11,000 SF for Hines at 53 West 53rd to Altamarea Group, more than 115,000 SF of combined spaces to high-profile tenants: Jean-Georges (food hall and restaurant), NoHo Hospitality and David Chang at Howard Hughes’ South Street Seaport. Mr. Levy was an integral part of AFI-USA’s redevelopment of the Times Square Building at 229 West 43rd Street and was solely responsible for the disposition of the 14,000-SF restaurant Tabla for Union Square Hospitality Group at 11 Madison Avenue. Mr. Levy was responsible for the leasing of 4,500 SF at 323 West Broadway to the acclaimed restaurant Michelangelo Mamo and leased Il Buco Alimentari & Vineria at 53 Great Jones Street. On behalf of Toll Brothers at 49 West 64th Street, Mr. Levy leased 11,000 SF of prime restaurant space to Blue Water Grill, for Imperial Companies negotiated the 17,000-SF restaurant, Legacy Records and for El-Ad Properties was responsible for the leasing of the world-renowned Oak Room at the Plaza Hotel. Additionally, he recently oversaw the RFP and negotiations for the 78,000-SF food and beverage program of Chestlen’s new dual-branded W Hotel and Element Hotel in Philadelphia, placing LDV Hospitality as Manager.
Prior to joining RKF, Spencer was the Executive Chef/Sole Proprietor of Spencer Restaurant, a white-tablecloth restaurant in Gramercy Park, as well as Executive Chef of Delmonico’s and The Monkey Bar, all well-respected restaurants in Manhattan. After selling his restaurant, he spent several years as an independent consultant and business coach for restaurateurs including a two-year position as the Director of Operations for Bamboo Bernie’s in St. Maarten, NA, where he coordinated the opening and set the standards for this 46,000-SF Polynesian-style resort restaurant and entertainment facility.
Education
- State University of New York at Oneonta, Bachelor of Science in Psychology/Business Administration
- Culinary Institute of America, High-honors Associates Degree in Culinary Arts
Professional Affiliations / Accreditations
- Licensed Real Estate Broker, New York