Twenty Years of Retail Leasing, One Empty Storefront at a Time

Downtown Roanoke has a new restaurant where an empty storefront used to sit. That's not an accident. It's the result of twenty years of Bryan Musselwhite, CCIM, SIOR, learning exactly what makes a retail space work, and who's going to make it work.

Bryan is our Senior Vice President here at Investors Real Estate Partners, and last year CoStar named him a 2025 Power Broker Top Retail Leasing Agent, a distinction based on verified transaction activity, not a popularity contest. It's the kind of recognition that confirms what our clients already know: when a landlord hands Bryan a vacant space in Downtown Roanoke, it doesn't stay vacant long.

The clearest example is the former Awful Arthur's space. It sat in one of the most visible spots in the city, the kind of address that gets noticed by everyone walking by and by every broker trying to fill it. Bryan represented the landlord, found the right fit, and brought in The Haven, a new restaurant concept now open in that space. A dead storefront became foot traffic, tax revenue, and a reason for people to keep walking that block. That's the job done right.

It's not an isolated win. Bryan's fingerprints are on a run of downtown retail deals this year: Blue Ridge Bodega bringing a modern convenience concept to the market, Sakura Asian Fusion stepping into the former Food Fanatics space, and Elderberry's opening a third Roanoke location in the old Pita Pit spot on Jefferson Street. Different tenants, different concepts, same pattern: an owner with a hard-to-fill space, and a broker who knows the downtown retail market well enough to match it fast.

If you own retail space sitting empty in Downtown Roanoke, or you're an operator looking for the right storefront, this is exactly the kind of problem Bryan solves. He's currently working active listings on Market Street, including brand new retail or restaurant space in the Hartsook Building and Market Place Center, two of the most walkable, highest-traffic corridors in the city. Reach out to Bryan Musselwhite at Investors Real Estate Partners to talk about what's available, or what it would take to get your space leased.

About Investors Real Estate Partners
Investors Real Estate Partners is an investor-first brokerage focused on helping clients build long-term wealth through brokerage, property management, real estate investment syndication, consulting, and auction services. By combining real-time market insight, disciplined investment strategy, and high-touch execution, the firm delivers measurable value for both investors and agents.