- \n
- \u201cThe Determined DIY\u201d<\/li>\n
- \u201cThe Savvy Scraper\u201d<\/li>\n
- \u201cThe Classic Lead Gen\u201d<\/li>\n
- \u201cThe Survey Master\u201d<\/li>\n
- \u201cThe Market Intelligence Platform\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Read on for the pros and cons of each approach to restaurant research.<\/p>\n
\n![\"Best](\"https:\/\/brizodata.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/The-Determined-DIY.png\")
<\/p>\n\u201cThe Determined DIY\u201d<\/h2>\n
The most basic level of market research is a manual approach: think scouring Google Maps or going line-by-line on Yelp to find establishments that fit your criteria for location, cuisine, business type, and so on.<\/p>\n
In small quantities, manually extracting basic information is easy enough; however, such methods are quite resource intensive and difficult to scale. In addition, the data collected through DIY methods may lack accuracy and consistency. Public sources like Google and TripAdvisor don\u2019t always have upto- date or complete information, leading to potential blind spots or errors in your view of the market.<\/p>\n
PROS:<\/h3>\n
- \n
- Flexible and adaptable to specific needs<\/li>\n
- Helpful for limited or ad hoc research<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
CONS:<\/h3>\n
- \n
- Resource-intensive and time-consuming<\/li>\n
- Not scalable for exhaustive research<\/li>\n
- Risk of missing significant opportunities or industry shifts<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n![\"Best](\"https:\/\/brizodata.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/The-Savvy-Scraper.png\")
<\/h2>\n\u201cThe Savvy Scraper\u201d<\/h2>\n
Some businesses may attempt to automate manual research by developing their own web scraping tools. However, doing so effectively is a costly endeavor, requiring significant resources that simply aren\u2019t feasible for most companies.<\/p>\n
Web scraping tools require constant maintenance to adapt to changes in website structures or to address any issues that arise. This ongoing upkeep can become a significant burden on your IT and budgetary resources.<\/p>\n
While DIY scraping might work for smaller projects, it doesn\u2019t scale well. As your business grows or your data needs expand, the limitations of this approach become more apparent, requiring a substantial investment in technology and personnel to manage larger datasets. In addition, without sophisticated data cleansing and verification processes, there\u2019s a higher risk of working with outdated or incorrect information, which could lead to misguided conclusions.<\/p>\n
PROS:<\/h3>\n
- \n
- Customizable for specific business needs<\/li>\n
- Control over in-house scraping tools, processes and outcomes<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
CONS:<\/h3>\n
- \n
- Significant development and maintenance costs<\/li>\n
- Requires dedicated technology and specialized skill sets to support over time
\nRisk of inaccurate or poorly aggregated data<\/li>\n - Opportunity cost of focusing on data collection rather than leveraging insights<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n![\"Best](\"https:\/\/brizodata.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/The-Classic-Lead-Gen.png\")
<\/h2>\n\u201cThe Classic Lead Gen\u201d<\/h2>\n
Generic lead generation tools allow you to purchase business contact\u00a0information like emails and phone numbers. The challenge with these\u00a0contact lists is that they\u2019re often nothing more than that \u2013 basic contact\u00a0data without the context necessary to truly understand the businesses\u00a0behind them.<\/p>\n
This lack of insights makes it difficult to personalize your messaging, a\u00a0critical factor in standing out from competitors.<\/p>\n
In fact, your competitors might be buying those same lists, leaving you\u00a0fighting over an identical subset of a much wider market! Most data\u00a0providers don\u2019t specialize in the foodservice industry, and many focus\u00a0solely on chains, leaving you blind to the 66% of the market composed of\u00a0independents. As restaurants close, new locations open, and contacts\u00a0change, these contact lists are bound to become outdated almost as soon as\u00a0they\u2019re purchased.<\/p>\n
PROS:<\/h3>\n
- \n
- Direct access to contact information, often with firmographic data (ie.\u00a0company size, industry classification, etc)<\/li>\n
- Large volume of available contacts can be advantageous for broad\u00a0marketing<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
CONS:<\/h3>\n
- \n
- Usually not specific to the foodservice industry<\/li>\n
- The absence of localized data or granular details (ie. menu offerings,\u00a0business type, etc) can hinder the effectiveness of targeted marketing\u00a0campaigns<\/li>\n
- Static information quickly becomes outdated<\/li>\n
- Limited scope (ie. missing independents or smaller regions)<\/li>\n
- Shallow insights aren\u2019t helpful for prioritizing prospects (only basic\u00a0contact info without detailed profiles)<\/li>\n
- Expensive, especially if supplementary data needs to be purchased for\u00a0an additional cost<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n![\"Best](\"https:\/\/brizodata.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/The-Survey-Master.png\")
<\/h2>\n\u201cThe Survey Master\u201d<\/h2>\n
Some providers do offer foodservice-specific data that goes beyond basic contact information. That being said, it\u2019s important to investigate the source of their information before building a business plan off of those insights.<\/p>\n
Many of these data sources rely heavily on qualitative survey results, often overlooking the hard numbers that reflect the current reality of the industry. Making business decisions based on the subjective opinions of a select group of respondents can lead to biased conclusions and a narrow understanding of the industry landscape.<\/p>\n
PROS:<\/h3>\n
- \n
- Useful for gauging public opinion<\/li>\n
- Tailored questions can provide foodservice-specific insights<\/li>\n
- Demographic data can aid in audience segmentation and analysis<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
CONS:<\/h3>\n
- \n
- Personal opinions don\u2019t always align with reality<\/li>\n
- Limited sample sizes may not represent the larger population<\/li>\n
- Survey response bias can lead to distorted or inaccurate results (due to factors like social desirability, self-selection, or question misinterpretation)<\/li>\n
- Results become outdated quickly<\/li>\n
- No quantitative data on the foodservice landscape as a whole<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n![\"Best](\"https:\/\/brizodata.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/The-Market-Intelligence-Platform.png\")
<\/h2>\n\u201cThe Market Intelligence Platform\u201d<\/h2>\n
Specialized market intelligence platforms like Brizo FoodMetrics equip you with a comprehensive source of quantitative foodservice insights. Say goodbye to scattered Google searches, generic contact lists, and biased surveys, all cobbled together to the tune of wasted time and mediocre results.<\/p>\n
Brizo FoodMetrics collects and aggregates foodservice data from live industry sources, all in one unified platform. These insights enable you to make informed strategic decisions based on the current market landscape \u2013 rather than a small subset of the market or what it looked like six months ago.<\/p>\n
PROS:<\/h3>\n
- \n
- Real-time insights, with weekly updates and a full data refresh on a monthly basis<\/li>\n
- Extensive market coverage of both chains and independents across all business types<\/li>\n
- Detailed business information like cuisine type, menu items, technology adoption, and more<\/li>\n
- A single platform that combines rich establishment profiles and verified contact information for streamlined workflows<\/li>\n
- User-friendly filters and visualization tools for fast, efficient analysis<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
CONS:<\/h3>\n
- \n
- Requires a subscription (however, integrating Brizo FoodMetrics into regular processes allows you to leverage daily insights and maximize its value)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Brizo FoodMetrics\u00a0offers rich insights on\u00a0over 2.1M+ foodservice\u00a0establishments<\/strong>, from\u00a0chains to independents,\u00a0in six countries: US,\u00a0Canada, UK, Ireland,\u00a0Australia, and New\u00a0Zealand.<\/p>\n
Supercharge your market research with a free trial<\/a> of Brizo FoodMetrics today!<\/p>\n
\nWas this content helpful? There’s more!<\/h2>\n
- Requires a subscription (however, integrating Brizo FoodMetrics into regular processes allows you to leverage daily insights and maximize its value)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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