US Market Entry
Your first US store, without the expensive lessons.
For international retail and F&B brands entering the United States. Strong foreign concepts have lost millions on the wrong corner of Miami, and the difference is rarely the product. It is market choice, lease structure, and unit economics.
Market
How it works
Two phases, with a decision point between them.
Decide where, with evidence.
A fixed-fee, fixed-timeline analysis of your first US market: demand modeling against your actual customer profile using demographic, psychographic and mobility data; competitor mapping, and analog mapping that compares your concept with relevant businesses and concepts already operating in the market; trade-area shortlists; a financial feasibility assessment of costs and unit economics; and a grounded recommendation on whether to proceed, with clear assumptions your leadership team can evaluate. Additional markets are priced separately.
Open the store.
A retainer through lease signature: site search and tours, landlord negotiations, LOI and lease-term strategy alongside your US counsel, guarantee and TI-allowance negotiation, and introductions across the landing network of attorneys, accountants, architects, and contractors.
The decision point is the recommendation that closes Phase 1.
In Florida, Alex represents tenants directly as a licensed real estate sales associate. Outside Florida, we coordinate with qualified local brokers.
Why Site Logic
Operators, not tourists
Our founder built the US store footprint of Wild Fork, a Brazilian-owned brand, from a standing start, and supported its Canada and Mexico programs. The mistakes you are trying to avoid have already been made, and corrected, at scale.
Read the Wild Fork case study →On both sides of the equator
Based between Miami and São Paulo. Your board meeting happens in your language and your time zone; your site tour happens with people who know the corridor.
An independent view of where to grow.
Sometimes the right answer is a different market, or waiting. Our analysis helps you decide where to invest, when to move forward, and when to pause.
Common questions
Before you ask
Which US market should an international brand enter first?
The right first market balances demand density for your category, operating costs, competitive saturation, and your ability to support the store. For many Latin American brands Florida is the natural gateway, but not always. The market decision should be modeled before any real estate is toured; that is Phase 1 of every engagement.
How long does it take to open a first US store?
Realistically 12 to 18 months from decision to opening: market analysis and site search (3 to 6 months), LOI and lease negotiation (2 to 4 months), then design, permits, and build-out (6 to 9 months, varying by city). A brand targeting an opening next year should begin the process now.
What surprises international brands most about US retail leases?
Personal and corporate guarantees, which are common when an entity has no US credit history; 10-year terms with limited exit rights; CAM charges on top of base rent; percentage rent; exclusive-use and continuous-operation clauses; and build-out costs that often exceed foreign benchmarks. Many of these terms can be negotiated, and the most important ones are best raised before the LOI.
Do you work in Portuguese and Spanish?
Yes. Engagements run in English, Portuguese, or Spanish, including board presentations in São Paulo and lease work in Miami. The leases themselves are normally written in English and governed by the law of the state where the property is located, so review by your US counsel remains essential.
Next step
Weighing a US move?
A 30-minute conversation in English, Portuguese, or Spanish. Bring your shortlist of markets and leave with a clear next step.