Your clear path to opening day.
For small business owners. OpenReady turns the invisible, department-by-department permit maze into one honest, address-specific roadmap — every step, every phone number, every form, in the right order.
Free zoning pre-check. No credit card. iOS 16+ / Android 10+.
Roadmap
148 Main St, Montclair
- Approved
Zoning verification
Phase 1
- Approved
Business registration
Phase 1
- In progress
Construction permit
Phase 2
- Waiting
Fire inspection
Phase 3
- Not started
Certificate of Occupancy
Phase 4
Who it's for
Built for people opening a business.
You're seeing the commercial view — every section on this page is scoped to opening a business.
Opening a business
Commercial
Restaurants, retail, salons, cafés, offices, home-based businesses. Zoning, business registration, health, fire, signage, liquor, and Certificate of Occupancy.
How it works
From address to approved in one flow.
No more piecing together requirements from six departments. OpenReady sequences the whole path for your exact space and use case.
Tell us what you're opening
Business type, address, new build or takeover, renting or owning, employees, food, alcohol, signage, seating, outdoor. Six minutes.
We build your roadmap
Every required step in the correct order, grouped into four phases — from zoning through Certificate of Occupancy.
You get who to call, and what to say
Exact department, phone number, fees, official forms, documents to bring, and the questions to ask before you hang up.
You track each step to approved
Eight status states, deadline reminders, document center for scanning leases, plans, contractor bids, and township letters into PDFs.
What the journey actually looks like
Real spaces. Real steps. One roadmap.
Every project we help — commercial or residential — moves through the same moments, from keys in hand to inspector sign-off. OpenReady is built for the messy middle.
The moment
Phase 1 · Zoning
Phase 2 · Build
Every phaseThe roadmap
Four phases. Every step to opening day.
Grouped by what actually matters — where you are in the timeline, and what you can start in parallel.
- Phase 1
Site & Zoning
- Address zoning + use group check
- Parking ratio for the intended use
- Lease contingency clause
- Site-plan waiver vs board review
- Phase 2
Registration & Build-out
- State business registration + tax IDs
- Construction permit + sub-code review
- Interior fit-out, MEP, and grease trap
- Contractor licensing & insurance
- Phase 3
Health, Fire & Safety
- County health plan review (food service)
- Fire suppression + hood inspection
- ADA & occupant load sign-off
- Alcohol / mercantile permit (if applicable)
- Phase 4
Open / Close-out
- Certificate of Occupancy
- Sign permit + installation
- Final fire & health inspections
- Grand opening ready
More than a checklist
The stuff the township won't tell you.
Every major step carries three things a department will never volunteer: how to actually run the play, the insider tips, and the mistakes that get people rejected.
How-to walkthroughs
The actual play for each step. Ask for the zoning officer by name. Get it in writing. Use this exact lease contingency clause.
Insider tips
A prior restaurant in the space doesn't mean you can open one. Ask for a site-plan waiver before paying for full board review. Parking ratios silently kill retail-to-restaurant conversions.
Document center
Scan leases, contractor bids, and township letters into searchable PDFs. Everything filed against the correct step, ready when you need it.
AI assistant, grounded
Ask questions and get answers scoped to your specific roadmap, address, and project — not generic legalese.
Deadline reminders
Eight status states from not started to approved. Reminders that fire before an inspection window closes or a permit expires.
Confidence labels
Every piece of info is tagged Verified, Partially verified, or General guidance — with a last-checked date.
Free · Signature feature
Check the address before you sign.
Before you sign a lease or make an offer, enter the address. OpenReady tells you who to call at the township, exactly what to ask, and the deal-breaker questions that surface use, parking, site-plan, and historic traps in one phone call.
- Free with the app — no signup required
- Address-specific, not generic zoning code
- The exact script to run past the zoning officer
Zoning pre-check
148 Main St, Montclair, NJ
Call
Zoning Officer, Township of Montclair
(973) 509-4954 · ext. 2
Ask exactly this
- 1Is a full-service restaurant a permitted use at this address?
- 2How many parking spaces does the current C-2 ratio require?
- 3Can I get a site-plan waiver, or is full board review required?
- 4Any active variances or conditions attached to the property?
Know how much to trust it
Confidence labels on every line.
Government processes change. Every piece of info in OpenReady carries a confidence label and a last-checked date, so you always know when to double-verify.
We've confirmed this directly with the issuing authority in the last 90 days. Fees, forms, and process match the official source.
Core requirement confirmed; some details (fees, review times) may vary by application. Call to confirm before filing.
Standard practice based on state code or comparable jurisdictions. Not confirmed with this specific department yet.
“We almost signed a lease on a corner spot with the wrong parking ratio. OpenReady flagged it in ten minutes and gave us the exact question to ask the zoning officer. We walked away and found the right space two weeks later.”
Amelia Torres
Owner, Marlow Coffee Bar · Montclair, NJ
Questions
Answered honestly.
If it isn't here, email lightningmediallc@gmail.com — a founder will reply.
Which cities does OpenReady support today?
We're launching with verified coverage across New Jersey — every township, borough, and city. The underlying jurisdiction engine works anywhere, so verified coverage is expanding city by city.
Is OpenReady legal advice?
No. OpenReady provides informational guidance and reference material sourced from official departments. It is not a substitute for a licensed attorney or a permit expediter. Always verify with the issuing authority.
How current is the information?
Every step carries a confidence label (Verified, Partially verified, or General guidance) and a last-checked date. Verified items are re-checked within 90 days.
What does it cost?
The zoning pre-check is free. A full roadmap and document center are available on a monthly subscription. Pricing is shown inside the app before you subscribe.
Do you share my data with the township?
No. Your project details, addresses, and uploaded documents are yours. We never share them with any government body without your explicit action.
Can OpenReady help with liquor licenses?
Yes. Liquor is on the roadmap when you flag it during setup. You'll get the ABC contact, the timeline (which is usually the longest lead-time item), and the disqualifiers that make renewals fail.
What if I'm taking over an existing restaurant?
Takeovers still trigger a new Certificate of Occupancy and often a fresh health review. OpenReady maps the takeover-specific path — including what carries over from the prior operator (usually nothing).
Open with confidence.
Download OpenReady and begin with a free zoning pre-check for the address you're about to lease.
Or peek at features first