Grand Opening Press Release Template

Announce a new store, restaurant, office, or facility opening. The copy-paste skeleton, an AI prompt tuned for this announcement type, and a full annotated example.

Press release templates / Grand Opening press release template

What is a grand opening press release?

A grand opening press release announces a new physical location: a store, restaurant, office, clinic, or facility. It is local news first. The address, the opening date, the jobs created, and the opening-day details are what local editors print, usually close to verbatim, so write those lines the way you want them to appear.

When should you use one?

Two to three weeks before opening day for local calendars and weekly papers, with a reminder to local newsrooms the week of. If there is a ribbon cutting or a first-day promotion, put the exact time in the release. For coverage beyond the release itself, invite local press directly; the release is the record, the invitation is the relationship.

Want to see the finished shape first? Read a full annotated grand opening press release, with notes on why each part works, in the press release examples gallery.

Copy-paste grand opening press release template

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

[Business] to Open [New Location] in [City or Neighborhood] on [Date]

[Subheadline: size or scope, jobs created, and what is new about this location]

[CITY, State] — [Month Day, Year] — [Business name], [one-line description with founding year], will open [what it is] at [full street address] on [day, date, time]. [Jobs created and the one thing this location adds.]

[Opening-day details with exact times: promotions, ribbon cutting, entertainment. Then regular hours. 3-4 sentences.]

"[The owner on why this location, in plain speech]," said [Full Name], [Title] of [Business]. "[Optional second sentence.]"

[Background paragraph: build-out details, local partnerships, remaining hiring with a link.]

About [Business]
[Standard boilerplate, 1-3 sentences, with website.]

Media Contact
[Name, Title, Email, Phone]

###

Grand Opening press release AI prompt

Fill in the facts section, then paste the whole thing into ChatGPT, Claude, or the Press Ranger AI writer.

AI prompt: grand opening press release

Write a grand opening press release using the facts below. Follow these rules exactly:

- Third person throughout. First person only inside the quote.
- Structure: headline naming the business, the location, and the opening date (under 100 characters); one-sentence subheadline with size or scope, jobs created, and what is new; dateline paragraph opening "CITY, State — Month Day, Year —" with the full street address, day and time of opening, jobs created, and what this location adds, in two sentences; an opening-day paragraph with exact times for promotions and ceremonies followed by regular hours; one quote from the owner in plain speech; a background paragraph with build-out details and remaining hiring; an About boilerplate; a media contact block.
- No author byline. No first-person narration. Attribute any statistic to a named source. Around 350 words. Plain text, no markdown.

MY OPENING FACTS (replace before running):
- Business: {NAME, ONE-LINE DESCRIPTION, FOUNDING YEAR}
- Location: {FULL STREET ADDRESS, CITY, WHAT IT IS, SQUARE FOOTAGE}
- Opening: {DAY, DATE, TIME}
- Jobs: {NUMBER CREATED, HIRING STILL OPEN}
- Opening day: {PROMOTIONS, RIBBON CUTTING, EXACT TIMES}
- Regular hours: {DAYS AND HOURS}
- Spokesperson: {NAME, TITLE}
- Boilerplate: {YOUR STANDARD BUSINESS DESCRIPTION}
- Contact: {NAME, EMAIL, PHONE}

The rules in the prompt produce a release formatted to pass wire editorial review: third person, no bylines, attributed statistics.

Frequently asked questions

When should I announce a grand opening?

Two to three weeks before opening day, which catches local calendars and weekly print deadlines. Send local newsrooms a short reminder the week of the opening.

What should a grand opening press release include?

The full street address, the opening date with the exact time, jobs created, opening-day promotions with their times, regular hours, and one line on what makes this location different. Local editors print these details nearly verbatim.

How do I get local press to actually show up?

The release is the record; the invitation is the relationship. Email local reporters and the chamber of commerce directly, give them a photo-worthy moment with an exact time, and make the owner available on site.

How do I distribute a grand opening press release?

Local and regional outlets matter most for an opening. Our wholesale press release distribution publishes to named outlets including Business Insider, Yahoo Finance, and AP News for $299 to $399 flat, with local and regional targeting available.

Ready to publish? Press Ranger distributes releases to named outlets including Business Insider, Yahoo Finance, and AP News at wholesale prices ($299–$399 flat). See the wholesale distribution page or create a free account.