soft openingnoun [ C ]
uk/ˌsɒft ˈəʊ.pən.ɪŋ//ˌsɑːft ˈoʊp.nɪŋ/specializedan occasion when a business is opened for the first time, but only to a limited number of people at first:
A soft opening gives a restaurant a chance to try out their food on real people.
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hard opening