If your grocery store traffic drops after the lunch rush or customers leave to grab dinner elsewhere, you’re missing a huge opportunity. A delicatessen can change that. These specialty departments offer freshly sliced meats, artisan cheeses, and ready-to-eat meals that keep shoppers returning and spending more.
It’s not just about convenience. The U.S. deli market was worth nearly $79 billion in 2024, fueled by busy shoppers looking for quality meals. Adding a delicatessen to your store expands your offerings and builds a steady, high-margin revenue stream that turns everyday grocery trips into full-service food experiences.
But what exactly is a delicatessen? How does it differ from a standard deli counter, and how do you set one up for success? Let’s break it down and explore four essential tips for launching one that drives loyalty and profit.
What Is a Delicatessen?
A delicatessen — often shortened to deli — is a specialty section of a grocery store dedicated to fresh, ready-to-eat foods that elevate convenience without sacrificing quality.
Delicatessens originated in Europe and became popular in the United States through German and Jewish immigrants, who brought a tradition of high-quality cured meats, sausages, smoked fish, and pickled sides.
While many early delis focused on classic Jewish fare like pastrami on rye or lox with bagels, today’s delicatessens are far more diverse, often featuring Italian, Greek, Middle Eastern, and other European specialties.
What sets a delicatessen apart from a basic deli counter is its focus on variety, freshness, and customization. Shoppers can order meats and cheeses sliced to their preferred thickness, choose from a rotating menu of chef-prepared dishes, or build complete meals from curated sides and specialty breads.
Many delis also offer premium products — such as imported prosciutto, house-made pâtés, or small-batch pickles — that can’t be found in standard packaged grocery aisles.
Opening a specialty deli can generate $5,000 or more in monthly revenue, making it a valuable addition to your grocery store.
How To Start a Deli Counter
Knowing what a delicatessen offers is just the beginning — the real challenge is turning that idea into a thriving part of your grocery store. To do that, you need to think strategically about how every element — from layout and inventory management to equipment and menu design — supports the customer experience and your bottom line.
Use these four tips to help you design and launch it successfully:
1. Decide the Layout
Your layout determines how efficiently staff can serve customers and how appealing the counter looks to shoppers. Consider traffic flow, equipment placement, and how the deli connects with the rest of your store.
Here’s what to focus on:
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Map customer traffic: Place the counter near high-traffic departments like produce or bakery so shoppers naturally stop on their way through.
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Organize prep areas: Arrange slicers, ovens, and wrapping stations in a logical, assembly-line sequence so staff can prepare and package food efficiently without getting in each other’s way.
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Highlight fresh foods: Position glass display cases at eye level and keep them brightly lit to highlight premium cheeses, cold cuts, and freshly prepared salads.
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Define ordering space: Create a clearly defined waiting area with floor markers or stanchions so customers know exactly where to line up during busy lunch hours.
Once your space is set up for efficiency, the real test is managing perishable inventory so that every product stays fresh and maximizes profit.
2. Set Up a System for Perishable Inventory
Because delicatessens deal with perishable items like sliced meats, cheeses, and fresh salads, even a small lapse in inventory control can lead to costly waste. Without a plan, you might be throwing away hundreds of dollars in spoiled food every week.
Here’s how to stay on top of freshness — and protect your bottom line:
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Track expiration dates: Rotate inventory daily using the first in, first out (FIFO) method, and pay extra attention to quick-spoiling items like tuna or potato salad.
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Adjust order sizes: Adjust delivery schedules for slow-selling cheeses or specialty meats if sales data shows they aren’t moving quickly.
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Repurpose unsold items: Repurpose leftover roast chicken into chicken salad or add unsliced ham to hot soups before it expires.
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Monitor storage conditions: Check cooler temperatures twice daily and reseal packaging on items like sliced turkey to prevent early spoilage.
After establishing inventory management, your next priority is selecting the technology and tools that boost efficiency and support daily deli service.
3. Adopt Integrated Scales
Accurate weighing is at the heart of any successful delicatessen — nearly everything you sell is priced by weight. You need equipment to handle variable pricing, print labels, and integrate with your point of sale (POS) system.
Choose a system that:
- Connects to your POS: Send weights from the scale straight to checkout so a pound of mortadella or half a wedge of brie is priced instantly.
- Prints barcode labels: Tag packages of sliced turkey or macaroni salad so customers can scan them like any other grocery item.
- Programs tare functions: Subtract the weight of containers, whether it’s a soup cup or a plastic salad tub, so pricing reflects food only.
- Tracks sales by weight: Measure how much smoked salmon, deli ham, and specialty cheese you sell each week to identify your top-performing products.
With your scales ready to go, turn your attention to designing a curated menu that sets your delicatessen apart by giving customers more reasons to stop and buy.
When introducing a delicatessen to your grocery store, design the menu to complement customers’ usual shopping habits and offer convenient meal solutions. Focus on prepared items that make it easy for them to grab lunch, dinner, or sides without going elsewhere.
Shape your menu with options like these:
- Serve prepared grain and pasta salads: Stock deli cases with options like orzo with feta, wild rice salad, or quinoa with roasted vegetables.
- Add marinated vegetables: Serve antipasto favorites such as roasted red peppers, pickled mushrooms, or artichoke hearts.
- Provide specialty breads and rolls: Keep baskets of fresh focaccia, lavash, or challah near the counter for pairing with meats and cheeses.
- Feature ready-to-heat deli classics: Include items such as cabbage rolls, stuffed peppers, or kugel that customers can take home for dinner.
When paired with classic favorites like roasted turkey sandwiches or caprese paninis, these prepared foods enhance your counter’s variety and help turn it into a go-to destination.
Start Your Own Delicatessen and Grow Sales With Markt POS
If you’ve been debating whether adding a delicatessen is worth it — or still wondering what a delicatessen can do for your business — the answer is a resounding yes. It can turn an unused corner of your grocery store into a reliable revenue stream and a powerful driver of customer loyalty.
With Markt POS, you get everything you need to simplify and succeed in that transformation. Our platform connects seamlessly to your deli scales, tracks expiration dates, automates pricing, and manages full-service and self-service sales from one easy-to-use dashboard. You reduce waste, speed up checkout, and make your deli the go-to spot for fresh, ready-to-eat meals.
Start building your custom Markt POS package today and watch your delicatessen become the reason shoppers choose your store.
