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About Zheng Brothers Capital

A vertically integrated commercial real estate investor and retail brand operator, founded and led by brothers Jeffery and Billy Zheng.

Commercial real estate owners who run their own restaurants

Zheng Brothers Capital works across three platforms: commercial real estate, multifamily and retail brands. They aren't separate businesses. We underwrite restaurant sites the way a landlord would and commercial real estate deals the way an operator would, because we sit on both sides of the table.

That structure keeps the underwriting honest. The partnership that signs a lease also has to make the numbers work in year seven, so we build our own models before we commit, and we manage construction and operations ourselves once we do.

A row of two-story townhomes in white and black siding, with stone entries and single garages behind a new lawn
A mural of a white crane flying across a red sun above gold-outlined waves, lit by a row of hanging bulbs

Where you'll find us

Umiya restaurants, our own commercial real estate and Pokiddo, city by city.

Our commercial real estate

Residences at MarnesDurham, NC · Stabilized
Townes at DearbornDurham, NC · In approvals
Portland TownhomesPortland, TX · Delivered August 2026
Corona ApartmentsQueens, NY · Stabilized

Restaurants

UmiyaTexas · 11 restaurants
UmiyaRaleigh, NC
UmiyaLong Island City, NY
UmiyaMemphis, TN
UmiyaAlexandria, VA
UmiyaJensen Beach, FL
Gyu GyuLocation to be announced · Coming soon

Entertainment

PokiddoDuluth, GA · Open
PokiddoHouston, TX · Coming soon

What sets us apart

Owners who operate. Operators who build.

  • Commercial real estate

    Acquisition and development of retail and multifamily assets across the Triangle and beyond.

  • Multifamily

    Infill buildings in Durham and Queens, and ground-up townhomes in Texas.

  • Retail brands

    Restaurant and entertainment brands: Umiya, Gyu Gyu and Pokiddo.

  • Underwritten in-house

    Full pro formas and scored market analysis before we commit to a site.

  • Ground-up delivery

    Portland Townhomes, our first ground-up development, delivered August 2026.

  • Multi-state footprint

    Umiya trades from 16 locations in six states. The majority of Umiya is owned by the Zheng family.

Where it started

Zheng Brothers Capital began with one family restaurant in Durham, which opened in 2014. Jeffery negotiated his first lease and oversaw his first build there while still in high school, and Billy ran the floor and its team. Everything the firm does now grew out of that building.

Leadership

Two brothers, one firm

Jeffery leads deals and capital. Billy leads delivery. Both run operations.

Jeffery Zheng

Jeffery Zheng

Co-Founder & Managing Partner

Jeffery co-founded Zheng Brothers Capital and leads deal sourcing, underwriting, capital strategy and operations. He runs site selection and financial modeling across the restaurant platform and the commercial real estate portfolio. He has supported the family's investments since high school, from negotiating the family's first restaurant lease to the acquisition of its first multifamily building in Queens.

He graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill's Kenan-Flagler Business School in 2021.

Contact

Billy Zheng

Billy Zheng

Co-Founder & Managing Partner

Billy co-founded Zheng Brothers Capital and serves as a Managing Partner. He oversees the firm's restaurants and leads delivery across its developments: contractor management, sourcing, cost engineering and on-site oversight. He co-owns and operates Umiya Raleigh.

Billy learned operations running the family's first restaurant, and graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill in 2023 with a degree in economics.

Contact

3

Retail brands

16

Umiya locations, majority family‑owned

19

Multifamily units

11

Units in development

We invest in transparency, precision and trustworthiness.

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