A soft opening can differ from one restaurant to another. For some businesses, it means quietly opening their doors without any advertisements or fanfare; for others, it’s hosting a “Friends and Family Night” or a charity event that provides valuable practice before opening to the general public. “The type of opening really depends on the time of the year, where you are located and who you are. If a soft opening doesn't work into your plans, find another way for your staff to practice, like having half your employees serve the rest.

It's like the real estate agents' mantra: location, location, location. You've certainly heard the phrase enough and may wonder what possesses agents to say it three times. Or you might think it pertains to three different types of locations perhaps an excellent location, a mediocre location and a lousy location.

When applications under the Liquor Act are to be advertised to the general public, the following requirements apply:

• the lettering on the sign must not be less than 15mm in height for the body of the text and not less than 50mm in height for the heading
• the heading must be of a bold style
• the overall dimensions of the sign must be at least 841mm x 594mm
• if displayed outdoors, the sign must be constructed of weatherproof material
• the applicant is to be responsible for maintaining the notice from the date of its erection until the close of the last day for lodgement of objections
• the applicant should use the notice of application template available from the Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation (OLGR), unless the Commissioner for Liquor and Gaming has provided approval for an alternative version.