McDonald’s Westfield London — delivered by Ben whilst in-house.
Senior Property Expertise Without the Full-Time Hire
Custom Real Estate brings experience gained in growing retail, hospitality and leisure businesses into yours. Led by Ben Suffolk, a former in-house Property Director, we understand the decisions, pressures and practical demands behind a property rollout.
We work as part of your team, bringing that experience to everything from shaping strategy to delivering acquisitions and store openings.
From a specific project to an ongoing role, our involvement fits what your business needs.
How We Work With You
Property Strategy
We turn your business ambitions into a practical property strategy. From identifying target locations to setting priorities across your estate, we help you plan where and how to grow.
Acquisitions and openings
We manage acquisitions from the initial search to opening day. We assess opportunities, negotiate terms and coordinate legal and project teams to keep your openings on track.
Estate management
We help you get more from your existing estate, managing lease events and identifying opportunities to reduce costs and improve flexibility. We plan ahead for renewals, breaks and disposals, keeping your property commitments aligned with your business.
Part of your team
We work alongside your existing team, adding senior expertise or extra acquisitions capacity where you need it. Whether you are accelerating expansion, covering a gap between appointments or need ongoing property leadership, we fit into the way your business works.
An Occupier’s Perspective
Ben Suffolk
Before founding Custom Real Estate in 2022, Ben built his career inside restaurant and leisure businesses, working with founders, private equity investors and global leadership teams. His experience spans international property strategy, accelerated expansion and the development of new formats.
At Le Pain Quotidien, Ben was Property Director across the UK, Europe and the US. Reporting to the global Chief Development Officer, a member of the global board, and working directly with the founder and chief executive, he aligned property decisions across markets with the ambitions of a privately owned international brand.
At Coco di Mama, Ben was brought in following its acquisition by private equity to help the business move from founder-led growth to a faster, more structured expansion programme. Working with the founders, Azzurri Group and Bridgepoint, he helped grow the estate from six to twenty-three sites, developing the property processes and investor reporting needed to support that pace of growth.
At McDonald’s, Ben’s remit combined responsibility for Central London, including flagship openings, with new formats across the UK. He opened the brand’s first delivery kitchen worldwide and developed and rolled out the UK strategy for the format—taking a new concept from its first site into a wider programme within a global business.
These roles shaped an approach that starts with the business behind the property: understanding how its owners make decisions, what its teams need to deliver and how its property plans can support the next stage of growth.
At Coco di Mama, Ben was brought in following its acquisition by private equity to help the business move from founder-led growth to a faster, more structured expansion programme. Working with the founders, Azzurri Group and Bridgepoint, he helped grow the estate from six to twenty-three sites, developing the property processes and investor reporting needed to support that pace of growth.
At McDonald’s, Ben’s remit combined responsibility for Central London, including flagship openings, with new formats across the UK. He opened the brand’s first delivery kitchen worldwide and developed and rolled out the UK strategy for the format—taking a new concept from its first site into a wider programme within a global business.
These roles shaped an approach that starts with the business behind the property: understanding how its owners make decisions, what its teams need to deliver and how its property plans can support the next stage of growth.
