Foodservice operator research
Foodservice operator research with verified restaurant and foodservice buyers.
The First Bite Operator Panel helps food and beverage manufacturers get feedback from the operators who buy their category: owners, executive chefs, purchasing managers and others who shape what their operation buys.
Every respondent’s business is matched to our list of foodservice operators and their purchasing role is confirmed before a response counts. You see which business gave each answer, and operators who like your product can ask for a sample or a conversation.
Who you can reach
Restaurant and foodservice operators who fit your product.
We start from our database of about 870,000 foodservice operators and recommend the audience groups that fit your product’s category, matched on what they serve. A sauce, for example, might start with wing specialists, salad and bowl concepts, and restaurants serving Mexican dishes.
Groups cover restaurant concepts and menus as well as non-commercial foodservice, such as hotels with food service, K–12 districts serving 500+ meals, colleges and universities, hospitals, and senior living. You choose the groups, and we invite the owners, chefs and buyers in them.
Verification
Every respondent is checked before their answer counts.
Before a response counts, we match the respondent’s business to our list of foodservice operators and confirm their role in purchasing. Each business can complete a survey once, so no single operation can fill your results.
Because you know which business answered, you can check that each answer fits: a wing specialist with six locations, a school district, a hotel group. Answers that don’t fit stand out instead of hiding in an average.
What you see
The business behind every answer, and leads when operators ask.
Results show which businesses answered, what they think of your product, and why they would or wouldn’t buy it.
- The business behind every answer: its name, type and size, and the respondent’s role in purchasing.
- Reasons, not just ratings: menu fit, prep and labor, price per serving and distribution.
- Leads when operators ask: operators who ask for a sample, a rep or more information share their name and contact details, and you follow up with them directly. Everyone else is shown by their business only.
How a campaign runs
From your website to results in four steps.
No contract and no minimum term. You’ll receive $500 in credit when you spend $500.
- Start with your website: we find your foodservice products and draft a sell sheet for each one, ready for you to edit.
- Choose your audience: we recommend the groups that fit your product’s category, and you can add or remove groups.
- Set a daily budget: add a monthly maximum or an end date if you like, and pause or restart whenever you want.
- Get results as they arrive: our team starts recruiting from your audience, and verified responses and leads appear in your workspace.
Keep reading
Frequently asked questions
What is foodservice operator research?
Research with the people who run and buy for foodservice operations: restaurants, schools, hospitals, hotels and others. Manufacturers use it to learn whether a product fits operators’ menus, kitchens and budgets, and why they would or wouldn’t buy it.
Who answers the surveys?
Owners, executive chefs, purchasing managers and other people who shape what their operation buys, at foodservice businesses in the audience groups chosen for your product.
How are respondents verified?
Every respondent’s business is matched to First Bite’s list of foodservice operators, and their purchasing role is confirmed before a response counts. Each business can complete a survey once.
Will I see who answered?
You see which business gave every response, with its type and size and the respondent’s role in purchasing. Names and contact details are shared only for operators who opt in as leads, for example by asking for a sample, a rep or more information.
How is a campaign priced?
You set a daily budget and can pause or restart anytime. There’s no contract and no minimum term. You’ll receive $500 in credit when you spend $500.
How do I get started?
Start with your website. We find your foodservice products and recommend the operator audiences that fit them. No account is needed to look.
See who would buy your product.
Enter your website to see the audiences and products we find for you. No account needed to look.