Lewis Gelmon

As Featured In

Lewis’s expertise has been recognized by leading finance groups, national franchise associations, and real estate media across North America. He’s been featured by:

Redefining Real Estate Strategy for Multi-Unit Growth

Lew Gelmon is North America’s foremost authority on multi-unit real estate strategy, helping operators, private equity groups, and multi-unit executives turn lease portfolios into pillars of added enterprise value.

With 30+ years of experience and thousands of successful negotiations, Lew has guided organizations and private equity brands’ multi-unit real estate activities through complex restructures, expansions, and economic shifts. He has enhanced enterprise value by pivoting clients into real estate-driven organizations, creating hundreds of millions of dollars in added value.

As Managing Partner at Acuity Negotiations, Lew serves multi-unit operators and private equity brands as an embedded Vice President of Real Estate, aligning their portfolios with ownership goals, providing real estate leadership and optimizing human capital to enhance enterprise value. Lew’s framework has become the industry standard for businesses with multiple locations.

Partner With a Proven Industry Leader

To learn how to become a real estate-driven organization and optimize your multi-unit tenant lease portfolio, partner with Lew. His experienced real estate strategy helps organizations realize untapped potential and achieve measurable value growth.

Pioneering the Real Estate-Driven Organizational Model

Lew Gelmon is credited with creating the Real-Estate-Driven Organization, a strategic approach that connects a multi-unit operator’s complex real estate activities to the goals of ownership through the creation of and implementation of effective real estate policy.

His Embedded Vice President of Real Estate framework has been adopted by multi-unit operators and private equity groups across North America, helping them scale efficiently and focus human capital. This model integrates C-suite strategy and field execution, empowering leadership teams to use real estate as a sustainable pillar for growth, stability, and long-term enterprise value.

Real Estate Strategy Sessions

Lew leads immersive, on-site Real Estate Strategy Sessions that help executive teams transform how they manage and scale their real estate portfolios. These half-day sessions are designed to align leadership, identify hidden opportunities, and build the frameworks that reduce occupancy costs and drive enterprise growth.

Each session is tailored to your organization’s portfolio and challenges, combining practical strategy with high-level vision. Lew’s insights have helped multi-unit operators and private equity groups convert reactive leasing practices into real estate-driven business strategy.

For many companies, it’s the most impactful half-day their leadership team has ever experienced.

*only 6 available per year

Expertise

Portfolio Optimization and Lease Negotiations
Multi-Unit Expansion Strategy
Real Estate Department Leadership
Risk Mitigation and Enterprise Value Creation

Signature Topics

Real Estate Leadership for Multi-Unit Operators
Negotiating Rent Reductions
Building a Real Estate Department That Drives Enterprise Value
Restructuring Portfolios to Improve EBITDA

Companies

Acuity Negotiations

Managing Partner; providing executive-level real estate strategy and embedded Vice President services for multi-unit organizations across North America.

Brand Partnerships

Trusted by private equity firms and franchise brands Lewis continues to set the benchmark for strategic lease negotiations. Lewis has built, advised, and negotiated for:

Cirrus Consulting

Founder; established the first dental and healthcare lease negotiation firm with offices in Canada, the U.S., and the U.K.

Domino’s Pizza Canada

Master Franchisor; doubled national store count through strategic site acquisition and lease expansion.

Burger King

Advisor; supported multi-unit franchise operators with portfolio strategy and rent roll reduction initiatives.

Book Lewis for a Seminar

Lewis Gelmon is a globally recognized strategist and keynote speaker who equips executives with frameworks that protect equity, drive profitability, and build real estate-driven organizations.

With over three decades of practical results, he has guided franchise brands, restaurant operators, and private equity firms through every phase of growth and transformation. From rescuing portfolios during the Great Recession to leading real estate boot camps and moderating national conferences, Lewis’s insights consistently deliver measurable impact.

Audiences walk away with:

Proven frameworks for reducing costs and improving value
Strategies for building high-performing real estate teams
Confidence to negotiate from a position of strength
A clear vision for transforming real estate into a growth engine

Lewis’s programs redefine how executives think about real estate strategy.

Testimonials

“Lew’s on-site strategy session completely transformed how we approach real estate. In just one afternoon, he helped our leadership team uncover inefficiencies we didn’t know existed and align our locations with a unified growth plan. We walked away with specific actions we could implement immediately and within a quarter, the savings were real.”

Multi-Unit Operator (Restaurant Group)

“Lewis brings a rare combination of deep market insight and executive-level clarity. His frameworks helped our brands move from reactive lease management to a real estate–driven model that’s now a core part of our growth strategy.”

Private Equity Partner (Multi-Brand Portfolio)

“What stands out about Lewis is his ability to connect strategy to real numbers. He doesn’t talk theory…he shows you exactly where you’re losing money and how to fix it. His approach has helped us make smarter site decisions and strengthen our bottom line.”

President, Multi-Unit Restaurant Brand

“I’ve worked with a lot of consultants, but Lew feels more like part of the executive team. He understands what keeps operators up at night and his frameworks give us the structure and confidence to make major real estate decisions without second-guessing.”

Franchise Executive (National Chain)

Questions for Media

Commercial Real Estate & Lease Negotiations

1. What are the biggest mistakes multi-unit operators make in lease negotiations?
2. How do strategic lease negotiations transform companies into stronger, more profitable organizations?
3. How does serving as an outsourced Vice President of Real Estate give brands an edge in high-stakes negotiations?
4. How have you helped multi-unit brands restructure their real estate portfolios to survive and grow during economic shifts?

Media Kit

Professional Lease Negotiator, Multi-Unit Real Estate Strategist, Embedded Vice President of Real Estate, International Speaker & Educator