Hospitality suppliers: reach hotels and restaurants before they switch
By Etienne DouillardUpdated 6 min read
Contents
A restaurant or hotel gets pitches from suppliers every week. Most are ignored, not because the offer is bad, but because they arrive at a time when nothing justifies a change. In hospitality, the current supplier is rarely questioned without a reason. That reason is what you need to spot.
Why does a hotel or restaurant switch suppliers at a specific moment?
Because switching suppliers takes energy from a team that is short of it. You have to test, train, adjust recipe sheets, negotiate. As long as everything works, nobody does it.
Three situations reopen the question. A project starts: an opening, a refurbishment, a new concept, more covers or more rooms. A person arrives: a new chef, a new general manager, a new owner, with their own habits and trusted suppliers. A problem becomes visible: guests complain publicly about something specific, and the manager has to respond.
Timing matters too. Many venues, especially seasonal ones, prepare their season months ahead and settle their suppliers in the off-season. Writing at the right time of year is sometimes more decisive than the message itself.
Which signals announce a change of supplier in hospitality?
| Signal | What it points to | Where to see it |
|---|---|---|
| Venue opening | All equipment and consumables to choose | Local press, Instagram, new Google Maps listing |
| Closure for works or refurbishment | Equipment and sometimes the concept reviewed from scratch | Venue posts, local press |
| New chef arriving | New menu, new products, new suppliers | LinkedIn, the chef’s Instagram, food press |
| New hotel general manager | Review of contracts and software | Job changes on LinkedIn |
| Acquisition, joining a brand or change of group | Aligning with the new owner’s standards | Trade press, official company notices |
| New menu or new concept announced | Need for new products or new equipment | Instagram, venue website |
| Recent Google reviews about a specific irritant | A visible problem the manager has to fix | The venue’s Google Maps listing |
| Seasonal hiring or a wave of job postings | Season preparation, and the volume to supply | Job postings, “we’re hiring” posts |
The most useful ones, in detail:
- The opening. This is the most complete signal: everything has to be chosen, the budget is planned, and the team has no habits yet. A new Google Maps listing with its first reviews, or an Instagram account announcing the opening date, is enough to spot it.
- The new chef. A chef who arrives wants to make their mark, often with the products they know. That is when a food or equipment supplier can get in. The mechanism is the same as for any job change: a new decision-maker reviews their suppliers.
- The change of owner. An independent hotel joining a brand or a group has to align with new standards: linen, guest amenities, software. The existing suppliers are not always kept on.
- The guest review that points to your topic. Six reviews since the summer about waiting times at breakfast, three about the beds, one about a lost item never returned: the manager has the problem in front of them, in public. If you solve it, you don’t have to convince them it exists. We cover this source on the Google reviews page.
- Season preparation. A resort venue posting its seasonal jobs is preparing its season. It is also when it finalises its orders and contracts.
Hospitality posts little on LinkedIn, apart from hotel managers and groups. Chefs and independent restaurant owners are more visible on Instagram and in Google reviews. It is one of the sectors where looking beyond LinkedIn really changes the volume of signals.
How do you turn the signal into an opener?
A hotel manager or a chef reads a message between two services. They read it if it talks about their venue in the first line, and if it asks a question they can answer in one sentence.
Illustrative example 1: a guest review
Signal: in September, an independent 4-star hotel received a review from a guest who left a piece of jewellery in her room and never heard back despite two follow-ups. Management has not replied to the review.
Opener that misses: “Hi Mark, our lost property management solution helps hotels improve guest satisfaction. Would you be available for a 15-minute demo?”
Opener that gets a reply: “Hi Mark, reading your hotel’s latest guest feedback, I saw a guest was still waiting for news of a piece of jewellery she left in September. It’s often the thing that falls between reception and housekeeping. What happens at your hotel when a guest calls back about a lost item?”
Illustrative example 2: a new chef
Signal: a brasserie in Lyon announces on Instagram the arrival of a new chef and a new spring menu “built around local producers”.
Opener that misses: “Hello, we are a fresh produce wholesaler delivering to over 200 restaurants in the region. Here is our catalogue and price list.”
Opener that gets a reply: “Hi Julien, I saw the announcement about the new menu with local producers. The hardest part is usually getting steady volumes during the week without multiplying deliveries. Are you working directly with each producer, or looking for someone to consolidate?”
The good version cites a specific fact, shows you know the trade, and asks a simple question. It does not sell yet. It opens a conversation.
How do you move from reply to meeting?
In hospitality, meetings often happen on site, and quickly. Decision-makers dislike long video calls but readily accept a sample or a short visit.
- Build on their reply: restate how they currently work in one sentence.
- Offer something concrete: a one-week trial, a tasting, a demo on a real situation from their venue.
- Suggest a time that fits the trade’s rhythm: outside service, mid-afternoon, two specific options.
- Find out who signs off: in a group, the purchasing manager or head office; in an independent venue, the owner.
- Note the season: if now is not the time, schedule the follow-up for the off-season, with the next signal as your opener.
MeetMagnet spots LinkedIn signals (managers, groups, appointments) and writes the opener from the signal, reviewed by a person. Google reviews, Instagram and the local press are covered by the multi-source option of the Assisted plan.
Which mistakes should you avoid when prospecting hotels and restaurants?
Writing during service or in peak season. The message will be read late, or not at all.
Sending a catalogue. A restaurant owner is not looking for one more supplier. They are looking for a solution to a specific problem or a product for their new menu.
Using a negative review aggressively. Quoting a review to lecture the manager puts them on the defensive. Cite it as a fact, and ask a question about how they work.
Targeting the wrong person. The chef does not choose the booking software, and the general manager does not always choose the fish. Match the target to what you sell.
Ignoring the calendar. A seasonal venue that finalised its orders in March will not change anything in July. Date your signals and the window that goes with them, as with any trigger event.
Frequently asked questions
What is the strongest signal for a hospitality supplier?
An opening, or a reopening after refurbishment: all the equipment, consumables and often the software have to be chosen at once, with a budget already planned. Close behind comes the arrival of a new chef or general manager, who almost always reviews some of the previous person's suppliers.
Are Google reviews really useful for prospecting?
Yes, when they mention the problem you solve. Recent reviews about the beds, breakfast, waiting times or a lost item never returned show an irritant the manager can see in front of them. A generally negative review, on the other hand, tells you nothing useful for your offer.
Who should you contact in a hotel or restaurant?
It depends on what you sell. The chef or head chef for food products and kitchen equipment, the general manager for software and services, the purchasing manager in groups. In an independent venue, the owner often decides everything.
When should you contact a seasonal venue?
Before the season is being prepared, not during it. A ski resort or seaside venue picks its suppliers in the off-season. Writing in the middle of the season, when the teams are stretched, rarely gets a reply.
Etienne Douillard
Co-founder and CEO, MeetMagnet
An engineer and entrepreneur for over five years, Etienne works every week with B2B SMEs on signal-based prospecting.
From intent to booking
MeetMagnet spots who has a reason to talk to you right now, writes the opener that stands out, and a real person keeps it on track.