Small retail units in Davie — the 800 to 3,000 square foot bays that house everything from nail salons to insurance offices to convenience stores — price differently than large-format anchor space, and tenants comparing the two often misjudge value.
This article looks at how small-unit retail rent behaves in Davie across use types, independent of the convenience-store-specific rent structure covered elsewhere.
Why Small Units Price Differently Than Anchor Space
Small retail bays carry a per-square-foot premium over large anchor space in the same center, because fixed costs — signage, utilities infrastructure, storefront glass — are spread across fewer square feet. A 1,200-square-foot bay in a Davie strip center will typically quote a higher per-square-foot rent than the 15,000-square-foot anchor next to it, even though the anchor pays more in total dollars.
Small units also turn over more frequently than anchor space, since tenants in this size range include more first-time and independent operators with shorter track records. That turnover keeps small-unit rent more responsive to current demand than long-hold anchor leases, which are often locked in years behind market.
Use Type Moves Rent More Than Size Does
Within the small-unit category, use type matters more than square footage. Food and beverage uses that need grease traps, hoods, or extensive plumbing pay a premium for space already built out for that purpose, or absorb significant build-out cost if it is not. Service uses like salons or repair shops need less specialized infrastructure and can fit into a wider range of shells.
Convenience and general retail sit in between — modest infrastructure needs, but landlords increasingly favor them for their extended operating hours and steady daily transaction volume, which supports full center foot traffic outside typical retail hours.
Reading a Small-Unit Quote Correctly
A small-unit quote should be evaluated on total occupancy cost, not headline rent, because CAM allocations for small bays are often disproportionate to their share of center square footage when parking lot and common area maintenance costs are split unevenly. Ask specifically how CAM is allocated among tenants before comparing quotes across centers.
Where the numbers are close between two Davie centers, the deciding factor is usually delivered condition and existing infrastructure rather than a small difference in quoted rent. A center's broader positioning is covered on the Davie leasing page.
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