Leads spread over spreadsheets when you sell to restaurants
Are your leads spread over five spreadsheets? Here is how people who sell to restaurants fix it.
Are your leads spread over five spreadsheets?
One list sits in a scraper export, another in an old Excel file and a third in a shared sheet that someone renamed. Each file has different columns and nobody knows which version is current.
It hits harder when you sell to restaurants. Restaurants run on thin margins and long hours, and the owner or general manager decides on suppliers, software and marketing. Groups have a head office buyer, but independents choose on price, reliability and how little extra work a change brings.
You spend time looking for the right file instead of contacting companies. Good prospects get lost between versions and are never approached.
Every list in one database, on your own server.
Riftjaw imports CSV and Excel files from any source into one lead database of your own. You map every column to a field once, and unknown columns become new fields. After that every company has one record with one status.
- Fields that fit restaurants, such as cuisine
- Email prefixes that fit, like info@, bookings@, reservations@ and manager@
- Status, tags and a segment on every record
Fixing it in Riftjaw
- Import your files. Upload each CSV or Excel file and pick an existing lead file or create a new one.
- Map the columns. Match every column to a field; columns you do not recognise become new fields.
- Publish the records. Review the concept records, then publish them into your database.
Other walls when prospecting restaurants
Restaurant lists change fast as places open, close and change owners.
Each record keeps its source and date, and you can archive closed places so your active list stays current.
The bookings@ address reaches a host, not the owner.
Tick several prefixes in email from domain, such as info@ and manager@, and note on the contact who replied.
You cannot tell which restaurants you already visited in person.
Set the status to Contacted and add a note after each visit, so the whole team sees it.
Fields worth recording for restaurants
Record these and you can split the list later, write sharper mails and see who fits your offer.
| Field | Why it helps |
|---|---|
| Company name | The key field. Duplicates are checked on it or on the website. |
| Website | Needed to derive an email when the export has none. |
| Cuisine | The type of food shapes which products and suppliers are relevant. |
| Covers | Seating capacity hints at volume and budget. |
| Independent or group | Groups buy centrally, so you need a different contact and approach. |
| Delivery | Restaurants that deliver need packaging and ordering tools. |
| Opening hours | Knowing when they open helps you pick a time to call or visit. |
Questions people ask
Collect restaurants from public listings such as Google Maps or review sites with a scraper, then import the CSV or Excel file. Riftjaw flags duplicates and lets you add a field for cuisine or area.
Many teams do both. Riftjaw keeps phone numbers as fields and email history per contact, so you can tag who to call and send a short campaign to the rest.
If your file has an email column, that wins. If it only has websites, tick the prefixes you want, such as info@, bookings@, reservations@ and manager@, and Riftjaw derives addresses from each domain. Derived addresses are good guesses, not verified, so start with small batches.
Yes. The Free plan runs the whole pipeline on one list with small campaigns, and you do not need a credit card. Move to Pro when you want more lists, segments and bigger campaigns.
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