By Marv Allen, Vice President of Sales at Preopening Restaurants Resource - 1.20.2026
By the time a new restaurant starts appearing on “coming soon” lists, showing up on Resy, getting indexed on Google Maps or popping up in local dining coverage, most of the decisions that truly shape the business are already made. The POS is selected. The reservation and guest management platform is chosen. Equipment orders are placed. Distributor relationships are in motion. Training plans are built around a specific operational stack.
That isn’t anecdotal. A recent nationwide survey of 220 restaurant owners, operators and technology decision-makers involved in preopening projects found that 71% begin selecting key vendors more than 90 days before opening, 64% finalize vendor relationships before any public announcement, and 76% say they are not receptive to vendor outreach within 30 days of opening. By the time a concept becomes visible to the broader market, supplier shortlists are usually closed.
For technology providers and F&B suppliers, that timing reality has direct revenue consequences. Outreach that starts too late doesn’t just perform poorly — it rarely performs at all. Sales teams burn cycles chasing restaurants that have already chosen their stack, while true buying opportunities remain invisible upstream.
Some vendors consistently get inside that early window. Others don’t. And the difference is rarely about brand awareness or product quality alone.
It is about visibility.
Platforms like Resy, OpenTable, Yelp, Google Maps, Instagram and local dining publications are excellent at signaling when a restaurant is about to welcome guests. They are not designed to surface restaurants while they are still being conceived, financed, permitted or built. By the time a concept is loading menus into a reservation system or teasing photos on social media, the operator has already spent months making foundational decisions about technology, equipment and vendor partners.
Public buzz is therefore a lagging indicator. When Eater reported that Baz Luhrmann’s East Village cocktail bar Monsieur had opened, that coverage arrived long after decisions about its operational technology would have been made. By the time diners were showing up to drink at 86 East Fourth Street, reservations were already being facilitated through a dedicated booking platform. That kind of integration does not happen overnight. Systems that manage pacing, guest profiles, and demand forecasting require configuration, testing, and staff training well before opening week.
The same pattern plays out across a wide range of new concepts. Multi-unit groups often standardize POS, inventory, and scheduling platforms months before a single location is announced so that menus, labor models, and reporting structures can be built in parallel with construction. Fast-casual operators opening new units frequently lock in kitchen display systems and order throttling rules early so throughput targets can be modeled before equipment is installed. Fine-dining groups regularly choose reservation, CRM, and table management platforms during concept development so they can shape VIP programs, pre-arrival communications and pacing strategies from day one.
This early-decision behavior is becoming even more pronounced as restaurant operations grow more complex.
Labor costs remain structurally elevated compared to historical norms, squeezing margins and forcing operators to lean harder on efficiency. At the same time, consumers are pulling restaurants in two directions: they want value and affordability, but they also expect speed, consistency, and experiences that feel personalized. McKinsey’s January 2026 analysis shows that cost consciousness, shifting tastes, and changing channel preferences are reshaping how and where diners choose to spend — trends that are forcing operators to think differently about how they design and differentiate their business.
As a result, technology is increasingly the connective tissue holding those expectations together. Many new QSR and fast-casual concepts now decide on digital ordering, loyalty, and delivery integration strategies before finalizing menu architecture. Full-service operators are selecting labor forecasting and scheduling tools early so staffing plans can be built around projected demand curves rather than guesswork. Bars and nightlife venues are choosing mobile payment and tab management systems in advance to shape bar layout and staffing ratios.
For operators, this means technology selection is no longer a narrow purchasing decision. It is a strategic design choice. If a concept intends to compete on personalization, the data model connecting POS, loyalty, reservations, and marketing must be architected early. If a concept intends to compete on speed and labor efficiency, kitchen display logic, order throttling, and staffing tools must be built into training and workflows from day one.
That is why late-stage vendor outreach struggles. When an operator is 30 days from opening, their priorities are hiring, inspections, menu testing, and soft launches. Introducing a new system at that stage often creates risk, not value.
Where high-performing suppliers separate themselves is upstream, during the quiet phase of development. Rather than relying on headlines, social posts, or “coming soon” roundups, many suppliers now use specialized preopening intelligence services such as Preopening Restaurants Resource, which surface restaurants while they are still in planning, permitting, or early construction, along with concept details, timelines, and verified decision-maker contacts.
That approach changes the economics of sales. Instead of chasing hundreds of cold, late-stage leads, teams focus on a smaller universe of real, in-market projects. Conversations start earlier. Win rates rise. Sales cycles shorten. And vendors earn the opportunity to shape the stack rather than attempt to replace it.
Suppliers using this model consistently report smoother implementations, deeper integrations, and longer-term customer relationships. The same survey that highlighted early vendor selection also found that 83% of operators believe earlier engagement with vetted suppliers leads to better outcomes.
There is also a growing ecosystem effect. DoorDash’s acquisition of SevenRooms is an example of how platforms are converging around unified commerce, guest experience, and data. When operators commit to such ecosystems, that decision influences multiple functions at once. Those commitments are almost always made early. For point-solution vendors, getting inside those conversations before an ecosystem is chosen can be the difference between being part of the stack and being shut out entirely.
None of this suggests restaurants never switch vendors. They do. But they rarely want to make foundational changes on the eve of opening. The real opportunity for suppliers lies earlier, when operators still have flexibility and are actively designing how the business will run.
For technology solution providers and F&B suppliers, the takeaway is simple: if growth depends on new logos, then visibility into what’s coming next is not optional.
Early visibility is pipeline.
Early visibility is leverage.
Early visibility is competitive advantage.
Marv Allen is Vice President of Sales at Preopening Restaurants Resource, a subscription-based platform that helps technology providers, distributors, and other suppliers connect with restaurant operators months before they open their doors. With more than three decades of experience in B2B sales leadership, Marv plays a pivotal role in helping vendors engage with decision-makers during the most critical stage of the restaurant lifecycle—when foundational purchasing decisions are made. Marv also serves as Director of Business Development at Starfleet Media, the parent company of Preopening Restaurants Resource, where he oversees client partnerships. Prior to joining Starfleet Media, he held senior positions at major organizations including GE Healthcare and Allstate Insurance, bringing a proven track record of driving revenue and building long-term client success.
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