Maxuod Shift · Nova Scotia opening sequence
Restaurant opening decision record
Write the authority, owner, date, and evidence beside each checked item.
Sources checked 2026-07-26
Gate 1
Before site commitment
Owner: Founder / landlord / municipality / regulators
- □ Define the food activity, service model, alcohol plan, hours, seating, takeout, delivery, catering, and any import or interprovincial activity.
- □ Choose the proposed legal structure and identify registration, tax, name, and account work without treating registration as operating approval.
- □ Ask the municipality whether the use is permitted and which occupancy, development, building, fire, accessibility, wastewater, grease, ventilation, patio, and sign reviews may apply.
- □ Contact Nova Scotia food-safety staff about the proposed site, menu, equipment, layout, and permit path before relying on the location.
- □ Put unresolved approval and renovation conditions into the lease, purchase, or project decision with qualified advice.
Evidence / file: ________________________________________
Confirmed by / date: ____________________________________
Gate 2
Before renovation or conversion
Owner: Owner / designer / contractor / municipality / food-safety inspector
- □ Submit the plans, specifications, and permit applications required for construction, renovation, conversion, or change of use before work starts.
- □ Confirm sinks, handwashing, plumbing, hot water, refrigeration, ventilation, lighting, surfaces, storage, washrooms, accessibility, waste, pest controls, and equipment placement.
- □ Identify every inspection and sign-off dependency, responsible authority, submitted version, contact, fee, and expected decision date.
- □ Keep the food establishment, building, fire, liquor, signage, and municipal files separate so one approval is not mistaken for another.
- □ Do not order a fixed opening date from a construction schedule until the required approvals and inspection sequence are confirmed.
Evidence / file: ________________________________________
Confirmed by / date: ____________________________________
Gate 3
Before hiring and training
Owner: Owner / manager / WCB / payroll / training leads
- □ Check WCB Nova Scotia registration and coverage requirements for the business and planned worker count before the hiring threshold is reached.
- □ Set up payroll, worker records, employment-standard review, workplace-safety responsibilities, emergency contacts, and incident reporting.
- □ Assign food-safety, allergen, sanitation, opening, closing, receiving, temperature, cash, key, and manager-on-duty responsibilities.
- □ Train the actual team on the approved premises and equipment; document completion, gaps, refresher dates, and the person authorized to sign off.
- □ Draft the first schedule only after training and inspection dependencies identify which roles must be present.
Evidence / file: ________________________________________
Confirmed by / date: ____________________________________
Gate 4
Before opening to the public
Owner: Owner / manager / issuing authorities
- □ Confirm each required permit, licence, occupancy approval, inspection result, and condition directly with the issuing authority.
- □ Confirm any permanent liquor licence, approved service area, service conditions, and trained staff before selling alcohol.
- □ Complete the required fire-safety plan, emergency procedure, exit, extinguisher, alarm, occupancy, and staff-training work for the premises.
- □ Verify approved suppliers, receiving controls, storage temperatures, cleaning and sanitizing, allergen communication, pest control, waste, and record locations.
- □ Publish one opening roster with named coverage, manager responsibility, breaks, handoffs, call-out ownership, and backup contacts.
Evidence / file: ________________________________________
Confirmed by / date: ____________________________________
Gate 5
Before the first inspection or reinspection
Owner: Permit holder / manager on duty
- □ Keep permit, plan, inspection, training, temperature, cleaning, pest, supplier, and corrective-action records available and current.
- □ Walk the premises as it will actually operate: receiving, storage, prep, cook, hold, serve, wash, waste, close, and reopen.
- □ Correct the root cause of each deficiency, record who owns it, preserve evidence, and confirm whether regulator follow-up is required.
- □ Make sure the manager on duty knows where records and shut-off points are and who to call for food, fire, building, injury, or equipment incidents.
- □ Recheck the permit and operating requirements before changing the menu, layout, equipment, service model, alcohol area, ownership, or premises.
Evidence / file: ________________________________________
Confirmed by / date: ____________________________________