San Francisco Retail Conference

Wed Apr 08, 2026

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San Francisco Retail Conference

From Union Square’s Revival to Major Tenant Expansions, Leasing Strategy and Experiential Retail Growth Across the Bay Area

Wednesday April 8 2026 @ 8:00 AM PDT

$99.00

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Speakers and Panels

Reimagining Union Square: The Future of Macy’s Landmark Flagship

How TMG’s Repositioning of Macy’s 600K SF Property Could Shape the Next Chapter of Union Square

Ben Kochalski

President, TMG Partners

Marisa Rodriguez

Marisa Rodriguez is the CEO of Union Square Alliance, a downtown association dedicated to enhancing San Francisco's Union Square District, a key destination and economic center for the Bay Area. Spanning 27 city blocks and accounting for $21 billion in assessed rates, it makes up 3% of the city's total assessed value. Under her leadership, she has led the Alliance to new heights, elevating its role as a destination marketing organization and reshaping the narrative of the square to attract visitors. Rodriguez, a visionary and solutions-driven leader, was brought in to help catalyze a turnaround in the district and meet the challenges of the post-pandemic era. She has crafted a forward-thinking strategy that reimagines the crucial role of zoning and other key elements for the long-term health and vitality of the district. Her goal is to help support the area’s transformation into a thriving urban neighborhood that is well-positioned to succeed in the 21st century. Rodriguez understands that strategic partnerships and collective work with community leaders, legislators, and other key decision-makers are crucial to achieving success. Her track record of creating positive change in various industries, including tourism, law enforcement, and nonprofit management, attests to her exceptional leadership skills. She believes that a safe and clean environment is the foundation for any successful community, as she often says, 'You cannot pass-go without clean and safe.' She has successfully implemented solutions that keep the visitor experience top of mind, given the 12,000 hotel rooms in the district. She also champions the safety of Union Square's workers and residents. Additionally, she has worked to help legislate policies that create flexible zoning to attract new business, ensuring the continued growth of the district. Her commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion is another defining aspect of her career. She continues to prioritize these values by ensuring that Union Square is attractive to everyone as a place for celebrating life's moments coining the phrase, “There is something for everyone in Union Square.” Post-pandemic, her leadership was critical in navigating the challenges and pivoting effectively. As a result, footfall has increased by ~102% YOY (July ‘21 vs. ‘22). Currently, she is envisioning the next phase of Union Square by developing the 2022 Union Square Alliance Strategic Plan. Her plan has been embraced by the community, Mayor London Breed, Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin, and various key department heads.

Union Square Alliance

CEO

Marisa Rodriguez

CEO, Union Square Alliance

Moderator

Alex Sagues

SVP, CBRE

Demand, Leasing and Location Shifts: Retail Resilience Across the Bay Area

How Consumer Strength, Cost Pressures and Site Selection Are Shaping Expansion and Portfolio Performance

Jeff Kreshek

SVP, Western Region President, Federal Realty Investment Trust

Laura Tinetti

Managing Director, Retail, JLL

Adriano Paganini

Crowned “the anti-snob of the San Francisco Food Scene” by San Francisco magazine, Adriano Paganini has created some of the San Francisco Bay Area’s most beloved restaurants. Paganini grew up near Milan where his father was a tailor. More interested in food than fabric, he enrolled in culinary school, and managed to become an apprentice to world famous French chef/restaurateur Paul Bocuse. Adriano ultimately moved to London where he got a job cooking at the Hyde Park Hotel. He stayed for five (5) years honing his skills in the kitchen. When the Italian Ambassador gave a dinner for the Queen of England, Italian chefs from all over London prepared dishes. The Ambassador chose three of Adriano’s preparations and, at 24 years of age, he was placed in charge of Italy’s dinner for Queen Elizabeth. He also cooked for Margaret Thatcher, and cooked for Luciano Pavarotti. Adriano moved to San Francisco, took over the kitchens at the Donatello Restaurant in the hotel of the same name. He then moved on to open his own restaurant in the Marina. However, cooking 6 nights per week at Café Adriano wasn’t enough. In 1994, at the age of 27, Adriano Paganini opened the first chef driven restaurant in America. Pasta Pomodoro was the inspiration for the entire fast casual dining segment of the industry that spawned hundreds of concepts. Pasta Pomodoro was not only game changing for fast casual and casual dining in America, it was also wildly successful in its own right. Adriano built 46 units and ultimately sold the brand. A master at understanding and reading contemporary culture, Adriano’s track record in both creating and exploiting trends, of identifying the right concept in a particular location, and his history of finding and preserving relationships with talented people are what have led to the success of Back of the House: Belga; Beretta; Delarosa; El Techo de Lolinda; Lolinda; Starbelly; Super Duper Burger; Uno Dos Tacos.

Back of the House

Founder and CEO

Owner of 22 restaurants across the Bay Area

Adriano Paganini

Founder and CEO, Back of the House

Moderator

Cherie Song

Partner, Lubin Olson

Evolving Retail Environments: Design, Store Formats & Experience

How Brands and Builders Are Rethinking Store Footprints and Unit Economics in High-Cost Markets

Nathan Lundell

VP, Asset Management, Grosvenor

The Most Well-Known Boutique Fitness Brand in the U.S.

Isabel Kurzner

Senior Director, Real Estate, Barry’s

Leading West Coast Fast-Casual Restaurant Chain Expanding in the Bay Area

Tim Welsh

Chief Development Officer, El Pollo Loco

Moderator

Kristin Anderson

President & CEO, Eric F. Anderson, Inc

What You'll Learn:

What You’ll Learn:

Understand where retail demand is strengthening across the Bay Area, which submarkets are seeing real leasing momentum, and how location performance is diverging between downtown and suburban corridors.
Get an inside look at TMG’s partnership around the Union Square Macy’s property and what it signals about timing, risk, and long-term opportunity in San Francisco’s next retail cycle.
Hear directly from leading retail and restaurant brands on how consumer resilience, margin pressure, and shifting foot traffic patterns are shaping expansion decisions today.
Learn how owners and developers are optimizing retail footprints, redesigning spaces, and recalibrating unit economics to make projects pencil in a high-cost market.
Explore how mixed-use integration, placemaking, and curated tenant mix are being used to drive engagement, dwell time, and long-term asset performance.
Identify how retailers, landlords, and developers are structuring more strategic partnerships in a selective, flight-to-quality environment.

How You’ll Do More Business: As the San Francisco and Bay Area retail market enters its next chapter, success depends on understanding where demand is returning, how tenants are making real estate decisions, and which assets are positioned to win. Join us to hear how market leaders are identifying viable submarkets, repositioning assets, designing for experience, and delivering retail projects that drive long-term performance.

Who You’ll Meet During Networking: Owners, developers, retail tenants, investors, brokers, city and government officials, business consultants, architects, engineers, lawyers, accountants, and bankers.

Why You Should Attend This Session: Bisnow events bring together the biggest power players in the industry to help you identify opportunities, build your network, and expand your business. With the largest audience of commercial real estate professionals in the world, no one knows how to help your business more than we do.

For questions, recommendations, comments, or press inquiries, please email our event producer, Bora Altunay, at bora.altunay@bisnow.com.

Interested in Sponsorship? Contact max.stein@bisnow.com for information on sponsorship, pricing, and availability for this event.

Venue

Hotel Kabuki - JDV by Hyatt
1625 Post St
San Francisco, CA 94115

Ballroom Name/Floor: Imperial A/B ballroom / Garden Level Foyer

Parking Information:

The Hotel offers a special Event Day Valet Parking Rate of $20.00.

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Agenda

Time	Activity
8:00 AM 9:00 AM	Breakfast & Networking
9:00 AM 9:45 AM	Demand, Leasing and Location Shifts: Retail Resilience Across the Bay Area How Consumer Strength, Cost Pressures and Site Selection Are Shaping Expansion and Portfolio Performance
9:45 AM 10:05 AM	Networking Break
10:05 AM 10:35 AM	Reimagining Union Square: The Future of Macy’s Landmark Flagship How TMG’s Repositioning of Macy’s 600K SF Property Could Shape the Next Chapter of Union Square
10:35 AM 11:20 AM	Evolving Retail Environments: Design, Store Formats & Experience How Brands and Builders Are Rethinking Store Footprints and Unit Economics in High-Cost Markets
11:20 AM 12:00 PM	Closing Networking

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Call:	202-684-2034
Email:	eventregistration@bisnow.com