Zach has over a decade of experience developing real estate throughout the Southeast.  Current and past projects include hotels, multi-family, mixed-use, and retail. As CEO, he sets the overall strategy for the firm and oversees all acquisition, development, and financing efforts.

Kupperman Companies designs, develops, and acquires hotels, retail, multi-family, and mixed-use projects in Louisiana, Texas, Georgia, Alabama, Colorado, and across the Gulf Coast. They invest in award-winning historic redevelopments that preserve the history, architecture, and culture of the surrounding community.

Kupperman currently owns and manages over 520,000 square feet of hospitality, retail, and mixed-use assets and over 100 acres and 500 pads of manufactured housing communities through their affiliate, Lucky Communities.

On this episode, Jake and Zach discuss:

• Transitioning from law into Real Estate
• Historic Tax Credit deals
• The impact of New Orleans' transformation since Katrina
• Acquiring one of the most coveted pieces of Real Estate in Aspen, CO
• Building partnerships with hospitality operators

Links:

Kupperman Companies

Zach on LinkedIn

The Little Nell in Aspen

The Chloe, New Orleans

Hotel Saint Vincent, New Orleans

Hotel Peter & Paul, New Orleans

 

Connect & Invest with Jake:

Follow Jake on Twitter

Take the Hospitality Investing Masterclass

Learn How to Invest with DoveHill

 

Topics:

(2:27) - Zach’s transition into real estate

(7:12) - How do Historic Tax Credit deals work?

(10:04) - How did placemaking become a bigger part of your strategy?

(11:30) - How has New Orleans changed since Katrina?

(14:08) - What else does the city need to do from a RE perspective?

(14:52) - What led you to add hospitality to your portfolio?

(17:57) - Do memberships offset some of the costs that you lose with smaller door counts?

(19:37) - With The Drifter & Hotel St. Vincent, what was your intention in setting the vibe?

(24:16) - How do you structure your deals?

(26:02)  - Where are your investors located?

(26:24) - What did your debt and equity structure look like for the Saint Vincent Hotel?

(32:36) - What did the business plan for the hotel end up being?

(39:55) - What aspects of a historic tax credit deal would give you hesitation before jumping in on one?

(41:02) - Do you manage Hotel St. Vincent?

(42:03) - What have you learned about hotel ops?

(43:42) - What are you focusing on now when thinking about new deals?

(45:01) - Do your investors ever express concern about diversifying your portfolio?

(46:39) - Are there any big opportunities that have you excited right now?

(47:46) - How does a guy from NOL get one of the most coveted pieces of RE in Aspen, CO?

(54:43) - How important is integrating F&B into the hotel experience today?

(56:20) - How are the independent hotels in your portfolio competing against the market?

(1:01:08) - Converting Hotels into MF

(1:09:59) - How do you run Kupperman and how have you utilized that strategy to grow the firm?

(1:13:44) - What does a typical week look like for you?

(1:15:41) - How did you train your offshored underwriter?

(1:20:13) - What is your favorite hotel?