The Houston office of Lee & Associates has launched a new national retail broker business line with the hire of a former senior vice president from Transwestern.

Grant Walker joins the Newport Beach, California-based commercial real estate firm as a senior director and will be responsible for building and overseeing the new division.

Walker specializes in tenant representation, with a focus on national food and beverage brands. One of the companies he currently represents is Darden Restaurants, the Orlando, Florida-based parent company behind Olive Garden, Longhorn Steakhouse, Cheddar’s and The Capital Grill, among others. Walker also represents Acme Oyster House, Eureka and YMCA and serves as the national master broker for Portland, Oregon-based Voodoo Doughnuts.

Walker was also involved in the Houston rollout of Bellevue, Washington-based Mod Pizza, which has continued to expand in Houston; New York-based Shake Shack; Longhorn Steakhouse; and Voodoo Doughnuts.

Walker spent nearly nine years at Houston-based Transwestern after having previously worked at the now-defunct Page Partners and The Weitzman Group's Houston office. While at Transwestern, Walker was No. 10 on the Houston Business Journal's 2018 "Heavy Hitters" List of retail brokers.

The Texas State University graduate said he decided to make the move to Lee & Associates after nearly nine years at Transwestern because...read more here.