Steven Haught

Director of Real Estate Strategy and Analytics @Waffle House, Inc

The Director of Real Estate Strategy and Analytics works with the VP of Real Estate in defining and managing the strategic vision for Real Estate to ultimately meet the organization’s real estate growth and disposition goals. The Real Estate Strategy and Analytics team creates and reviews detailed analysis on all development related projects as well as monitoring trends with current Units. •Performs long range research and provides information and recommendations to the Executive team and the Growth Committee of the Board of Directors. •Provides leadership and management to the Real Estate Analyst team and the Development Research Coordinator to ensure that workflow is constant and established deadlines are met. •Lead the real estate team’s detailed analysis in selecting markets, trade areas, specific sites, as well as project performance and returns for future locations. •Manages the relationship with our third-party analytics firm (Sitewise Tetrad); train other team members on the platform’s capabilities. •Serves as a representative for RE in various cross-functional meetings and committees. •Provides an independent, objective and non-biased review and assessment of all potential locations; provides advice to help approve and prioritize all sites in the development pipeline as well as potential remodels. •Serves as a knowledge expert in market research, analytics, and site selection; provide leadership, mentoring, and development opportunities to all department personnel as well as train new RE team members in detailed financial and site analysis. •Collaborates with the Real Estate directors to provide a pipeline of locations and intelligence from the Analyst team in order to aid in their negotiations. •Plans and attends RE site selection trips to identify new locations as well as reviewing new locations selected by others while staying current on our competitors in our existing markets.