Todd Semrau is a long time in town Atlanta resident and entrepreneur. He is an advocate of the urban resurgence that is sweeping the country and holds an Urban Planning and Economic Development graduate certificate from Georgia State University.
In 1995 Todd opened a restaurant in East Atlanta Village that served as a community gathering spot and a catalyst for neighborhood growth. Although it wasn’t a popular term yet, the restaurant was in fact an example of the New Urbanism model.
In 2006, Todd launched Urban Eats Consulting Group a full-service consultancy providing food and beverage concept development for clients across the hospitality industry. Market sectors included food halls, food streets, department store food offerings, hotels and restaurants. Over time the Urban Eats business model expanded to include the curation of retail corridors for mixed-use developments, central business districts and lifestyle centers.
In an effort to better serve these markets, Semrau formed Urban Retail Advisors to provide retail placemaking, high-level infrastructure guidance and brokerage advisement to developers, property owners and municipalities. URA’s strategy is to create unique experiences by harnessing the heartbeat of a community. Along with Oakhurst Realty Partners, URA has worked on projects with many notable companies including, AMLI Residential, The Novare Group, Trilith Real Estate, Alliance Residential and The City of Sugar Hill, GA.
The Urban Retail Advisor’s approach today is the same as it was in 1995; creating authentic destinations that stand the test of time and reflect the communities they serve.