Naked Farmer is a fast casual restaurant chain that launched in Florida about six years ago with a plan to offer good meals with ingredients sourced from local farms. CEO and founder Jordan Johnson explains how the company builds direct relationships with Southeast farmers, plans seasonal menus nine to 12 months in advance, and applies fine dining culinary techniques in a fast casual setting. Johnson also discusses the company's origin story, including pivoting to a digital farmer's market during the pandemic, the challenges of entering new markets like Nashville and Charlotte, what makes an ideal restaurant location, and upcoming spring menu items like crispy sesame tofu and cucumber ranch salad. Now with 10 locations across Florida, North Carolina, and Tennessee, Johnson shares his vision for scaling regionally while keeping the mission of fixing the food supply system at the center of the brand.

James Cook is the Director of Retail Research in the Americas for JLL.

James Cook is the director of retail research in the Americas for JLL.

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Listen: WhereWeBuy.show

Email: jamesd.cook@jll.com

YouTube: http://everythingweknow.show/

Read more retail research here: http://www.us.jll.com/retail

Theme music is Run in the Night by The Good Lawdz, under Creative Commons license.

Mike Bennett was an unemployed artist in Portland, Oregon when he created a public art project that captured the imagination of the city during the pandemic. He then created art popups in increasingly large retail spaces, then Wonderwood Indoor Mini Golf & Cafe, and then The Portland Aquarium, an indoor cartoon aquarium. Bennett and his business partner Teddy Albertson discuss these spaces, their plans for their new Zooquarium brand, and how they're turning vacant retail spaces into community-driven immersive destinations that are getting national attention.

James Cook is the Director of Retail Research in the Americas for JLL.

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify
Listen: WhereWeBuy.show

Email: jamesd.cook@jll.com

YouTube: http://everythingweknow.show/

Read more retail research here: http://www.us.jll.com/retail

Theme music is Run in the Night by The Good Lawdz, under Creative Commons license.

Sam Wang is Co-Founder and CEO of Mirra Immersive LLC, the creator of Mirra Arena, a competitive social VR arena that combines multiplayer active gameplay with large-format LED spectator displays. Wang explains how he and his partner conceived the concept during the pandemic and built a proprietary system where up to eight players compete in VR while friends watch the action on a massive screen in real time. He covers the company's flagship venue in Bellevue, Washington, its expansion through licensing deals in China, and the challenge of making location-based entertainment profitable. Wang also discusses the role of AI in personalizing the game experience and how his background in film, including work on Jackie Chan movies and the 2008 Beijing Olympic opening ceremony, shaped his approach to creating cinematic, accessible games for a broad audience.

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify
Listen: WhereWeBuy.show

Email: jamesd.cook@jll.com

YouTube: http://everythingweknow.show/

Read more retail research here: http://www.us.jll.com/retail

Theme music is Run in the Night by The Good Lawdz, under Creative Commons license.

Carrie Charleston is Vice President-Head of Leasing at Mall of America, the 5.6-million-square-foot shopping, entertainment, and dining destination in Bloomington, Minnesota, owned by Triple Five Group. Carrie discusses the wave of new brands debuting at Mall of America—from SKIMS and Alo Yoga to Pop Mart and Miniso—and the growing influence of Asian retail and K-pop culture on the tenant mix. She also covers the property's marquee entertainment offerings, including Nickelodeon Universe and Sea Life Aquarium, the rise of competitive socializing concepts like Activate and Escape Games, and plans for a future water park expansion. Charleston explains how social media and influencer culture drive foot traffic, and how Mall of America collaborates with sister properties West Edmonton Mall and American Dream to offer retailers a unique portfolio of mega-destinations.

This interview was recorded at Entertainment Experience Evolution 2026, a conference by InterFace Conference Group, which is a division of France Media Inc.

James Cook is the Director of Retail Research in the Americas for JLL.

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify
Listen: WhereWeBuy.show

Email: jamesd.cook@jll.com

YouTube: http://everythingweknow.show/

Read more retail research here: http://www.us.jll.com/retail

Theme music is Run in the Night by The Good Lawdz, under Creative Commons license.

Emily Crutcher, Senior Vice President of JLL's Government and Education Division, and Elsa Wilson, Senior Analyst in Research at JLL, join the show to discuss their analysis of 18 university anchored innovation districts across the United States. They explain how these districts — from Stanford Research Park to Kendall Square — foster innovation through concentrations of research institutions, startups, corporate partners, and venture capital. Office properties in these districts command up to a 36% rent premium and retail rents see a 28% premium compared to national benchmarks. The conversation covers case studies in Cambridge, Pittsburgh, and at Arizona State University, the role of entrepreneurial retail concepts in activating these districts, and why innovation districts are increasingly relevant for investors, occupiers, and public sector leaders.

James Cook is the Director of Retail Research in the Americas for JLL.

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify
Listen: WhereWeBuy.show

Email: jamesd.cook@jll.com

YouTube: http://everythingweknow.show/

Read more retail research here: http://www.us.jll.com/retail

Theme music is Run in the Night by The Good Lawdz, under Creative Commons license.

Tucker Trotter is CEO of Dimensional Innovations, and Spencer Farley is Practice Director of Entertainment and Hospitality. They discuss Atlas9, an immersive experience in Kansas City themed around a 1990s movie theater where films have come to life. They explain how the concept was born during COVID, the role of live performers, and the gamification and narrative elements that drive repeat visits. They also cover the venue's food and beverage offerings, corporate event demand, expansion plans, and the company's other projects, including the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library and projects with major sports and entertainment brands.

This interview was recorded at Entertainment Experience Evolution 2026, a conference by InterFace Conference Group, which is a division of France Media Inc.

James Cook is the Director of Retail Research in the Americas for JLL.

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify
Listen: WhereWeBuy.show

Email: jamesd.cook@jll.com

YouTube: http://everythingweknow.show/

Read more retail research here: http://www.us.jll.com/retail

Theme music is Run in the Night by The Good Lawdz, under Creative Commons license.

Kevin Vuong is SVP of Global Store and Workplace Experience at Capri Holdings, the parent company of Michael Kors. Kevin talks about how the brand is redefining its signature "jet set" lifestyle for a new generation of customers, including the rollout of Jet Set Lounges with food and beverage in flagship stores in New York, London, and Beijing. He also covers the brand's award-winning popup activations at Galeries Lafayette, rising construction costs and tariff planning, an ambitious plan to renovate half of the company's global store fleet, sustainability efforts including LEED certification, and why he finds inspiration in the grit and diversity of New York City.

This episode was recorded in front of a live audience at the 2026 Luxury Retail Leaders Summit at The Beekman in New York.

James Cook is the Director of Retail Research in the Americas for JLL.

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify
Listen: WhereWeBuy.show

Email: jamesd.cook@jll.com

YouTube: http://everythingweknow.show/

Read more retail research here: http://www.us.jll.com/retail

Theme music is Run in the Night by The Good Lawdz, under Creative Commons license.

Phil Colicchio is co-founder of Central Perk Coffee Company and head of Colicchio Consulting. Phil shares the origin story of how a pitch meeting at Warner Bros. about a sandwich concept unexpectedly led to a license for the globally iconic Central Perk brand from the hit TV show Friends. He discusses the challenges of raising capital without owning the intellectual property, the decision to test the concept in Boston before opening in Times Square, and lessons learned from early operational mistakes. He also covers the company's growth plans, its hub-and-spoke expansion strategy, and why quality and hospitality remain at the core of the brand.

James Cook is the Director of Retail Research in the Americas for JLL.

This interview was recorded at Entertainment Experience Evolution 2026, a conference by InterFace Conference Group, which is a division of France Media Inc.

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify
Listen: WhereWeBuy.show

Email: jamesd.cook@jll.com

YouTube: http://everythingweknow.show/

Read more retail research here: http://www.us.jll.com/retail

Theme music is Run in the Night by The Good Lawdz, under Creative Commons license.