Raphael Collazo - Commercial Real Estate Agent - Summit Commercial Group

06/10/2026

06/10/2026

Not every high-traffic site makes sense for a drive-thru.

Visibility helps, but access is what makes the deal work. 🚗💨

When I’m evaluating a drive-thru opportunity, I’m looking beyond the traffic count.

A site may look great on paper, but if cars can’t enter easily, circulate safely, stack properly, and exit without creating backups, the site can fall apart quickly.

Here are a few things that matter most:

🚦 Traffic Counts
Strong daily traffic and commuter flow are important, but the traffic needs to actually support the concept.

🧭 Site Circulation
Can vehicles move through the site without disrupting parking, deliveries, or customer flow?

🛣️ Curb Cuts
Existing access points, new curb cut potential, road restrictions, and distance from intersections can make or break the deal.

↩️ Ingress + Egress
Customers need to enter easily, exit safely, and avoid awkward or restricted turns.

🚘 Stacking Capacity
The site needs enough room for peak demand without cars backing up into the road.

🏛️ Zoning
A drive-thru may not be allowed by right. Conditional use approvals, parking requirements, and landscape buffers can all impact feasibility.

🔌 Infrastructure
Sewer, water, stormwater, electric, gas, grease trap needs, and trash location all need to be reviewed early.

The best drive-thru sites are not just visible.

They are functional.

They have the right combination of traffic, access, circulation, zoning, and infrastructure to support long-term success. 📍

If you’re looking for drive-thru opportunities in Louisville, KY or surrounding areas, let’s connect.

Raphael Collazo
Summit Commercial Group
📞 (502) 536-7315
📧 [email protected]
🌐 www.sumcg.com

06/09/2026

These are my top 3 recent CRE reads. 📚

One thing I’ve learned in commercial real estate: the best operators never stop studying the business.

Every deal teaches you something.

Every project exposes a new challenge.

Every negotiation, lease, financing conversation, construction issue, and closing adds another layer of experience.

But experience alone is not enough.

You also have to study how other brokers, investors, developers, and operators think.

That’s where the learning curve really starts to compress.

Here are three books I’ve recently read and found valuable:

1️⃣ Making It in Real Estate: Thriving as a Developer By John McNellis

A practical, real-world look at development, deal structure, capital, partnerships, risk, and what it actually takes to get projects across the finish line. 🏗️

2️⃣ Selling Buildings By Bob Knakal and Rod Santomassimo

A tactical guide to selling commercial real estate with strategy, discipline, positioning, demand creation, and process. 📈

3️⃣ The Birth of a Building By Ben Stevens

A clear breakdown of how buildings come to life — connecting planning, finance, law, design, construction, and real estate into one understandable development process. 🧱

CRE is a business where the fundamentals matter.

👉🏼 Markets change.
👉🏼 Capital changes.
👉🏼 Tenant demand changes.
👉🏼 Construction costs change.

But disciplined operators who keep learning are usually the ones who adapt the fastest.

Have you read any of these yet?

And if there’s another CRE, business, or investing book I should add to my list, drop it below. 👇

06/06/2026

Real estate development is not for the faint of heart. 🏗️

It takes patience, vision, ex*****on, and the ability to see opportunity where others may only see complexity.

Since 2019, I’ve been active in the commercial real estate space, helping broker tens of millions of dollars in transactions across a wide range of property types, including retail, industrial, office, multifamily, land, mixed-use, and redevelopment opportunities. 🏢

In addition to brokerage, I’ve also been directly involved as an owner and developer in commercial investments and development projects totaling several million dollars.

That experience has given me a deeper understanding of what it takes to identify, structure, and execute real estate-backed opportunities with strong fundamentals. 📊

We are currently exploring new development and investment opportunities throughout Louisville, KY, and the surrounding areas, and we are looking to connect with strategic partners who are accredited investors. 🤝

Our focus is simple:

Strong locations.
Thoughtful ex*****on.
Long-term value creation.

If you are an accredited investor interested in real estate-backed development or investment opportunities, I’d welcome the opportunity to connect.

Raphael Collazo
📞 502.536.7315
📧 [email protected]

06/04/2026

Opening a restaurant is exciting, but signing the wrong lease can become expensive fast.

For new and aspiring restaurant owners, the process should not start with, “What spaces are available?”

It should start with, “Am I prepared?” 🧐

Before touring properties or submitting an LOI, you need to understand:

✅ Your concept
✅ Your target customer
✅ Your menu and pricing
✅ Your startup budget
✅ Your available capital
✅ Your projected revenue and expenses
✅ Your operational experience
✅ Your buildout needs

From a landlord’s perspective, the question is simple:

Can this tenant actually open, operate, and pay rent?

Restaurant leases involve much more than monthly rent.

You also need to budget for deposits, utilities, insurance, permits, equipment, signage, furniture, buildout costs, professional fees, and working capital after opening. 💰

This is where many deals fall apart.

The tenant finds a space they love, but they underestimate the true cost of getting open.

That is why second-generation restaurant spaces can be so valuable.

If a space already has a hood system, grease trap, plumbing, restrooms, kitchen layout, walk-in cooler, or existing equipment, it may save a lot of time and money. 🍽️

The challenge?

Good second-generation restaurant spaces are limited, and they usually lease quickly.

That is why having an experienced commercial agent matters.

A good agent can help you understand market rents, lease structures, landlord requirements, zoning issues, tenant improvement expectations, and whether a space is actually worth pursuing.

And sometimes, the best move is not leasing right away.

Starting with catering, a shared commercial kitchen, a pop-up concept, or a food truck can help you prove the concept, build a customer base, and strengthen your financials before committing to a long-term lease. 🚚

Restaurant leases are complicated.

Do not try to figure it out alone.

If you are looking to open a restaurant or need help evaluating a space, let’s connect.

Raphael Collazo
Summit Commercial Group
📞 (502) 536-7315
📧 [email protected]
🌐 www.sumcg.com

06/03/2026

I finally had the chance to tour Phoenix Place Hub in the Russell neighborhood with DeOndrea Bowdre-Robinson, the developer behind the project.

And honestly, this is the kind of work that reminds me why adaptive reuse matters. 🏚️➡️🏢

Phoenix Place Hub is more than a renovation.

It’s a community-focused redevelopment that took an underutilized building and turned it into something with real purpose.

The project includes:

✅ Therapy and mental health services on the first floor
✅ Residential units on the upper floors
✅ Supportive housing and wraparound services
✅ A renewed building that brings color, activity, and life back to the corridor

That’s powerful.

Projects like this matter because redevelopment is not just about buildings.

It’s about access, opportunity, and creating spaces that serve the people around them.

Russell has seen a lot of investment and attention in recent years, but the real impact comes from projects that are intentional, community-centered, and led by people who understand the neighborhood.

That’s what makes Phoenix Place Hub so important. 🌱

It brings a vacant or underutilized property back to life while also addressing real needs in the community, including housing, mental health, and support services.

I’m really thankful I finally had the opportunity to meet DeOndrea in person and see her vision up close.

Her work is a great reminder that developers can play a meaningful role in shaping stronger neighborhoods when they lead with purpose.

Louisville needs more of this.

👉🏼 More adaptive reuse.
👉🏼 More neighborhood-scale investment.
👉🏼 More vacant buildings brought back to life.
👉🏼 More projects that preserve character while creating new opportunities.

These are the types of developments that can help move our city forward. 🚀

Excited to see what DeOndrea continues to build, and I look forward to finding ways to collaborate on projects in the future.

06/02/2026

This is the part of commercial real estate most people never see.

Not the finished photos.
Not the ribbon cutting.
Not the polished “after” shot.

The messy middle. 🚧

The stage where walls are framed, systems are being coordinated, drywall is going up, and the space slowly starts to take shape. 🏗️

It may not look pretty yet, but this is where the real value is created.

Every walkthrough, every contractor meeting, every rough-in, and every problem solved moves the project one step closer to becoming usable commercial space again. ✅

That’s the beauty of adaptive reuse.

You take an older building, work through the challenges, and bring it back to life for new businesses, new customers, and new energy in the neighborhood. ⚡

Commercial real estate development isn’t just about buying buildings.

It’s about seeing potential where others see problems and doing the hard work to make that vision real. 💡

Excited to keep pushing this one forward. 🚀

If you’re looking at a commercial property and trying to figure out what it could become, let’s connect.

Raphael Collazo
Summit Commercial Group
📞 502.536.7315
📩 [email protected]
🌐 www.sumcg.com