- Where does the data come from?
- From the license applications and license records that the state of Texas publishes on its open data portal. TipOff reads them every morning, cleans them up and sends you the ones in your territory. We’re an independent company, not affiliated with or endorsed by any government agency.
- How early will I hear about a new venue?
- Owners usually file weeks to months before they open, and some applications sit in review for a long time. Every lead shows the filing date and where the application stands. When it’s approved you get a second alert, which usually means opening day is close.
- The state data is free. Why pay for TipOff?
- You can download it yourself. On a typical day the statewide file has about 1,000 rows, including event permits for church festivals and fundraisers, out-of-state wineries and importers, and add-on permits that repeat a venue already listed. License types are codes like MB and BQ, and the phone column is almost always empty. After cleanup, a little over half the rows are real venues, and only a slice of those are in your territory. TipOff does that sorting every morning, so your list is short and ready to work.
- Do leads include phone numbers or the owner’s contact details?
- No. The filings almost never include a phone number, and we don’t look up personal information about anyone. Each lead has the business name, street address, license type, filing date and the legal entity that filed. Most reps stop by the address or start from the entity name.
- What does “new owner” mean?
- Someone filed for a license at an address that had a license under a different owner within the last two years. Usually it’s a restaurant changing hands or a new concept moving into a closed space. We name the previous business. New owners pick their own vendors, so these are worth a visit.
- Are chains included?
- Locations of big chains, like national convenience stores and fast-casual brands, are flagged and hidden by default, since a local rep usually can’t sell to them. If you sell to franchisees, turn chains on in your settings.
- Which areas do you cover?
- All of Texas. Starter covers one metro: Houston (10 counties), Dallas–Fort Worth (11), Austin (5) or San Antonio (8). Pro lets you combine metros, pick individual counties anywhere in the state, or take all of Texas.
- When do the emails arrive?
- Around 7 a.m. Central. Daily emails skip days with nothing new. Weekly emails go out every Monday, even after a quiet week, so you know nothing slipped by.
- Do you cover restaurants that don’t serve alcohol?
- Not yet. Today’s leads come from liquor license filings, so a coffee shop or taqueria without a beer and wine license won’t show up. We’re working on adding them from new sales tax permits.
- How do I cancel?
- From your account page, in a couple of clicks. There’s no contract and no cancellation fee, and you keep getting leads until the end of the month you’ve paid for.