AEW Europe, one of the world’s largest real estate investment and asset managers[1], announces the acquisition of a prime high street retail asset let to Five Guys in the 1st arrondissement of Paris, France.
The asset comprises 565 sqm of space across the ground floor, upper storey, and basement level, and is fully let to Five Guys, the American fast-food chain which operates over 1,800 restaurants worldwide. This asset ranks among the top performing Five Guys locations in France, where the chain operates more than 35 units.
Situated on Place Joachim du Bellay, the building benefits from strong positioning next to the Westfield Forum des Halles shopping centre. This vibrant pedestrianised area attracts approximately 50 million visitors annually, driven by a strong mix of retail and food & beverage operators[2]. The asset is well connected to public transport, located just 120 metres from the Châtelet–Les Halles transportation hub, with bus routes within 300 metres and multiple bicycle stations nearby.
Currently, AEW Europe overall manages a growing portfolio in France totalling 6 million sqm across logistics, offices, retail, and residential sectors in key metropolitan areas[3].
Sébastien Cappigny, Fund Manager at AEW Europe, commented: “This prime high street retail asset is situated in an excellent location with high footfall, supported by the nearby Westfield shopping centre and strong transport connections. Located in the heart of Paris, this investment aligns with our client’s strategy of growing a diversified portfolio across Europe. Fully let to Five Guys, the property is home to one of their top-performing chains, underpinning the long-term sustainable income profile of this core investment.”
AEW Europe was advised by Baum Notaires, BG2V, Elan, ICF, Knight Frank and JLL.
[1] 2025 IRE.IQ Real Estate Managers Guide”. The Guide, published annually by Institutional Real Estate, Inc., ranks real estate managers based on the gross value of real estate AUM ($m) as of December 31, 2024
[2] Source : https://www.visitparisregion.com/fr/westfield-forum-des-halles
[3] Source: AEW, as at 30/06/2025.
About AEW
AEW is one of the world's largest real estate asset managers, with €73.8bn of assets under management as at 30 June 2025. AEW has over 860 employees, with its main offices located in Boston, London, Paris and Singapore and offers a wide range of real estate investment products including comingled funds, separate accounts and securities mandates across the full spectrum of investment strategies. AEW represents the real estate asset management platform of Natixis Investment Managers, one of the largest asset managers in the world.
As at 30 June 2025, AEW managed €35.8bn of real estate assets in Europe on behalf of a number of funds and separate accounts. AEW has over 520 employees based in 11 offices across Europe and has a long track record of successfully implementing Core, Value-Add and Opportunistic investment strategies on behalf of its clients. In the last five years, AEW has invested and divested a total volume of almost €15bn of real estate across European markets.
[1] Source: “2024 IREI.Q Real Estate Managers Guide”. The Guide, published annually by Institutional Real Estate, Inc., ranks real estate managers based on the gross value of real estate AUM ($m) as of December 31, 2023.