FIELD NOTE 01 / NYC DOB
What a building application can—and cannot—tell a vendor.
A Department of Buildings application may describe the work proposed at a property. Commercial-kitchen, mechanical, hood or interior-alteration language may be relevant to a vendor researching an area, but a filing is not a purchase order, an approved design, a guaranteed construction schedule or proof of a restaurant opening.
Questions worth asking
- What exactly does the full official scope say, beyond a shortened search result?
- What is the public job status, and has the source changed since the last review?
- Does the restaurant operator actually connect to this property and filing? An address match alone may be insufficient.
Official starting point: NYC DOB NOW: Build Job Application Filings.
FIELD NOTE 02 / NYSLA
A pending liquor license is context, not an opening announcement.
A pending application may suggest that an operator or venue is pursuing a licensing process. It does not prove approval, the date operations will start, or that any supplier relationship is available. Applications can change, remain pending or be withdrawn. Always review the current official status.
Questions worth asking
- Which entity and address are named on the current application?
- Does this entity match the restaurant you intend to research?
- Is the date an application or publisher-update date rather than an event date?
Official starting point: New York State Liquor Authority Pending Licenses.
FIELD NOTE 03 / DOHMH
A restaurant record is not an operator-to-property match.
NYC restaurant inspection data may identify a business, location and inspection history. It is useful source context, but a shared address or business name does not establish that a filing belongs to the same legal operator. Restaurant records can also describe active operations rather than a forthcoming opening.
Questions worth asking
- Does the record identify the same operating entity and premises?
- Are inspection dates and source-refresh dates being kept separate?
- What evidence, if any, links the restaurant to a specific building project?
Official starting point: NYC DOHMH Restaurant Inspection Results.
FIELD NOTE 04 / CHECKLIST
Four checks before acting on any record.
- Original source: Open the current official record, not only a copied excerpt.
- Entity and place: Verify who and where the record actually describes.
- Time and status: Keep filing dates, government dataset refreshes and review dates distinct.
- Interpretation: Separate what the record says from what your sales team still needs to investigate.
That separation shapes our founder-reviewed briefs. A research starting point is not a guaranteed lead.
See the illustrated brief →