Off-Market Strategy Delivers Prime Clintonville Site for Domino’s

About the Project

Domino’s was seeking a new site in the Clintonville market of Central Columbus, with a key requirement — the property needed to feature an existing drive-through window and already operate as a food use to comply with updated Columbus zoning regulations. With limited inventory and high competition, Passov Group’s PJ Williams sourced an off-market opportunity and successfully negotiated a complex deal to secure the location.

Challenges

• Zoning  Restrictions: New Columbus zoning laws required any drive-through site to already operate as a food use, significantly narrowing the field.
• Limited  Availability: Only two other properties in the market met partial criteria but failed the city’s operational-use requirement.
• Lease  Buyout Negotiation: The identified site was still occupied by an underperforming tenant, requiring strategic coordination for early termination.

Solutions

• Strategic  Site Identification: Located a property already operating as a food use with an active drive-through, compliant with the new UGN-1  zoning district.
• Collaborative  Negotiation: Partnered with ownership to secure an early lease termination from the existing operator.
• Cost Optimization: Negotiated a reduced buyout—less than Domino’s initial budget—allowing the client to reallocate funds toward the buyout and FF&E

Result

Domino’s successfully secured its new Clintonville location at3645 N High Street, gaining a compliant, ready-to-operate space in ahigh-demand corridor. The off-market strategy and creative negotiation process delivered a seamless transition and efficient, cost-effective outcome.

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