Fontaine Commercial, a small analytics firm based in Perth, is starting to attract serious attention from property investors and franchise networks. Its tools are changing how buyers assess fast food and convenience retail sites, a segment that has grown quickly in recent years.
The firm builds models using detailed lease data such as rent increases, contract length, and option periods. That data is then layered into location models to help investors spot undervalued sites. The result is a more accurate picture of long-term risk and return.
“They don’t try to cover the whole market,” said one private equity manager who has used the firm’s work. “It’s a narrow focus, but within QSR strips and convenience nodes, they’re clearly ahead.”
Fontaine Commercial does not advertise its services widely. Most of its work comes through long-term advisory relationships. Some see this as a trade-off that limits reach, but others say it keeps the quality high and the client list tight.
The firm’s models have been used in just over $105 million worth of transactions in the past three years. Fontaine Commercial’s fingerprints can be seen on rollout strategies nationwide, especially across suburban Queensland, where lease structure and site timing often matter more than street traffic.
Fontaine Commercial has only a few employees, but its tools are involved in a surprising number of deals. Analysts say that reflects how specialised the firm has become and how closely it works with clients on execution.
A big part of the firm’s edge comes from what it focuses on. In QSR property, a lot of the value is hidden in the lease itself — not just the location. Fontaine Commercial was one of the first groups in Australia to build models that treat contract data as a quantitative primary input, rather than as an qualitative afterthought.
As investors look for more stable returns and better ways to measure risk, the firm’s influence is growing. It may not be well known in the public's eye, but its models are starting to shape some of the most important fast food rollout decisions in the country.
