Today’s grocery stores are becoming dining destinations. From national chains like Whole Foods to hyper-local stores like Hy-Vee in the Midwest, grocers are fusing retail and dining, giving shoppers fresh, made-to-order meals they can enjoy in store or take home.
And it’s easy to see why: The quick-service restaurant (QSR) industry is projected to grow from $412 billion in 2025 to $731 billion by 2030. This trend opens the door to new revenue and stronger customer loyalty for grocery owners.
A well-designed QSR can transform part of your store into a destination that feeds both appetites and sales.
Not sure how to open a QSR? Use these tips and tools to get started, manage orders, and track inventory to stay profitable.
Get Licensed and Meet Food Safety Requirements
Before serving your first meal, you need the proper permits and safety measures. Even though you meet grocery retail standards, you may need additional licenses, inspections, and training to operate a fully compliant QSR inside your store.
Start with these steps:
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Apply for food service permits: Check with your local health department about food service, ventilation, and equipment permits required for cooking and serving meals on-site.
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Train staff in food safety: Require certification through programs like ServSafe so employees know proper food handling and contamination prevention.
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Design a compliant workspace: Separate prep zones, label storage areas, and install proper sanitation equipment, like hand sinks and three-compartment washing stations, to meet inspection standards.
With the groundwork for opening a QSR in place, the next step is creating a menu that turns your quick-stop into a crave-worthy dining experience.
Your menu is the heart of your QSR — it should be fast to prep, simple to serve, and tempting enough to make shoppers stop and order. It’s your chance to give customers something they can’t find in the freezer aisle or a drive-thru.
Shape your menu with these tips:
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Lean into local flavor: Feature hometown favorites or regional specialties, like pulled pork in the Carolinas, Polish-inspired desserts in Chicago, or tangy relishes in New England.
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Use what you already sell: Turn bakery bread into pressed paninis, deli meats into wraps, or fresh produce into colorful grab-and-go salads.
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Balance dine-in comfort with take-home ease: Offer hot combos for on-site meals and chilled family packs that customers can reheat later.
Simple, flavor-driven options keep your kitchen efficient and give shoppers a faster, more satisfying way to grab something fresh.
Equip Your Kitchen With an Efficient Ordering System
Once you’ve finalized your menu, the next step in how to open a QSR is setting up a kitchen that can bring it to life. You need tools and processes that help your team move smoothly from order to pickup.
To build a reliable setup:
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Install a QSR point of sale (POS) system: Use a grocery POS that handles in-store and online orders, syncs with grocery inventory, and provides real-time reporting.
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Add kitchen printers or display screens: Route orders instantly to prep stations so cooks can work quickly and consistently.
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Integrate digital scales: Connect weighing stations for per-pound pricing on salad bars, hot entrées, and bulk sides, so prices calculate automatically at checkout.
With these systems in place, your QSR can process orders quickly, price items accurately, and maintain a steady flow from prep to payment. Now, you need strategies to grow your sales.
Boost Sales With Everyday Strategies
Once your quick-service counter is up and running, focus on growing daily revenue and repeat visits. For in-store operations, that means great promotions, easy-order options, and systems that make every transaction faster and more convenient.
Use these strategies for engagement:
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Bundle meals strategically: Pair entrées, sides, and drinks into combos that feel like a deal while increasing the total ticket.
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Offer online ordering and quick pickup: Give customers a way to order ahead for lunch or dinner runs without waiting in line.
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Link your grocery loyalty program: Let shoppers earn or redeem points on QSR purchases to encourage repeat visits across departments.
Adding self-pay kiosks or mobile checkout can shorten lines and keep service moving. From there, the final step in opening a QSR is managing your inventory and daily operations to stay efficient and profitable.
Simplify Operations for Consistency
Behind the counter, efficiency is everything. Opening a QSR includes building systems that maintain quality and minimize waste — even during your store’s busiest hours.
To stay organized and maintain healthy profits:
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Standardize recipes and portions: Use written procedures and training guides to guarantee every meal meets the same standard and make it easier to plan inventory.
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Integrate grocery and QSR inventory: Track shared ingredients in one POS system to simplify purchasing and avoid overstocking.
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Analyze waste and sales data: Adjust prep levels and batch sizes daily to prevent product loss and improve margins.
These steps set you up for lasting control over inventory, costs, and the pace of your entire operation.
Open a QSR With Supportive Systems
Learning to open a QSR is about building a system that runs fast, accurately, and profitably. Every successful operation depends on a POS that can keep orders flowing and data organized behind the scenes.
Markt POS gives grocery owners the tools to do both. Its integrated solution connects ordering, weighing, and payment in one system, so QSR and grocery sales sync in real time. Built for busy hybrid environments, it supports kitchen printers, digital scales, self-checkout, and online ordering — all from a single dashboard.
Start your QSR journey today — use Markt POS’ Build and Price tool to design your setup and see how fast your grocery store can serve and sell.
by Joel
by Luke
