A restaurant makes most of its supplier decisions in a short window: the weeks before it opens and the first few months after. Reach the owner in that window and you're one of a few options. Reach them a year later and you're trying to replace someone who already has the account.
What a new restaurant buys, and when
Before opening (build-out and licensing):
- kitchen equipment, smallwares and glassware;
- a point-of-sale system and card processing;
- the sign, menus and printed materials;
- insurance (property, liability and, where they serve alcohol, liquor liability);
- food, beverage and dry-goods suppliers, and often a beer, wine or coffee supplier.
In the first 90 days:
- payroll and scheduling, once the team is hired;
- cleaning (kitchen hoods, floors, nightly cleaning) and pest control;
- a website, online ordering and reviews, once they see what's working;
- a second look at suppliers, after the opening rush shows what they actually use.
How to spot a new restaurant early
- Liquor licences: new applications are usually public (state boards, or city licence committees). They name the business and the address, often weeks before opening.
- Business filings: a new LLC with a food name, especially one whose address matches a licence or permit.
- Building and health permits: a kitchen build-out or a food-service plan review at a storefront.
- "Coming soon" listings: a new Google Business Profile or social page with an opening date.
What our data shows
Our database has 857,008 restaurants and food businesses across the US. 299,973 of them (35%) have an email on file, and 708,333 have a phone number. The biggest states are California (106,271), Texas (84,382), New York (78,867) and Florida (63,281). Of the 67,440 whose website we've checked, 37,017 (55%) had none, which matters if you sell online ordering or websites.
How to reach the owner
- Email the owner, not "info@": licences often name the owner or manager. A shared inbox at a new restaurant is usually unread until opening.
- Mention the specific thing: "I saw the new licence for your place on Main Street" shows you're local and paying attention.
- Offer something for opening week: a starter order with no minimum, a free install, a first month at cost. Owners are short on cash before opening; a small yes beats a big contract.
- Time it: before opening for anything they need to open (POS, suppliers, signs, insurance); two to six weeks after opening for everything else.
- Keep it legal and easy to say no to: under CAN-SPAM a business email must be honest, carry your postal address and an opt-out, and respect it. See our cold email checklist.
How we help
BeatTheDoor finds new restaurants from licences and filings, names the owner where public records show it, checks the email before anything is sent, and writes to them from your own domain. Pages for food and beverage suppliers, payment and POS providers and commercial cleaning companies show what we'd reach for you, or book a 15-minute demo.
Counts from our database on October 9, 2026. Website figures cover only businesses we've already checked.