What I really want is actually a way to turn a xlsx or a csv file into a REST API. For example if there's a subcategory column, I want it to be hierarchial.
1. Parse: http://blog.parse.com/2012/05/22/import-your-csv-data-to-par...
2. csv to api https://github.com/project-open-data/csv-to-api
Though if your data really is as simple as a single table (a csv files tend to be), you could probably put together a sinatra or express app in a day or two depending on your skill level.
or do open source solutions already exist that convert spreadsheet into API?