About OpenShop
Our mission is to make it easier to open a local business.
Not simply to digitize government. Not simply to simplify permitting. To remove the friction between deciding where to open and welcoming your first customer.
The story
OpenShop exists because opening a local business is unnecessarily difficult.
Every café, boutique, salon, bookstore, studio, restaurant, and neighborhood shop eventually reaches the same moment: turning a business into a place.
That's where things get complicated.
Getting from location to opening day can mean navigating permits, licenses, inspections, approvals, and requirements spread across multiple departments and websites. The problem isn't a lack of information. It's a lack of clarity, coordination, and usability.
Municipalities face the other side of that same challenge. Their teams want local businesses to succeed, but spend enormous amounts of time answering repetitive questions, directing entrepreneurs between departments, and working around fragmented systems.
OpenShop connects both sides of the journey—giving entrepreneurs a clearer path to opening day and municipalities better tools to support them along the way.
What we believe
Local businesses don't just fill storefronts. They shape communities.
We believe every neighborhood favorite starts with someone believing it's worth building.
We believe entrepreneurs shouldn't need to become experts in government to open a local business.
We believe municipalities want local businesses to succeed—and deserve better tools to help them.
We believe every day a storefront stays closed is a missed opportunity—for the entrepreneur and the community around them.
We believe strong local businesses make neighborhoods stronger.
Opening doors. Growing communities.
OpenShop is building a better way for entrepreneurs and municipalities to navigate the journey to opening a local business—because when opening gets easier, more businesses have the opportunity to become part of the places we call home.
Interested in What We're Building?
We'd love to hear from you.
Whether you're a potential partner, a member of the media, a prospective team member, or want to learn more about OpenShop, we'd love to hear from you.