90-Day Retail Pickup Launch Plan
A Smaller First Step for Serious Food Operators
People may keep asking you to sell your food.
But opening a restaurant may feel too big, too expensive, or too soon.
The 90-Day Retail Pickup Launch Plan is designed for approved food operators who want to test one focused food concept through a scheduled preorder-and-pickup model.
This plan may fit someone who has a food item people already ask for and wants a legal, practical way to begin selling without purchasing, leasing, or building out a restaurant space.
The plan is available only when the operator’s food concept, schedule, menu, facility needs, and Health Department requirements fit the arrangement.
What the Plan Includes
90-Day Retail Pickup Launch Plan: $495/month
Includes:
- Up to 4 scheduled kitchen hours per week
- One 2-hour Retail Pickup Window per week
- Preorder-only customer model
- Limited approved menu
- Scheduled production and pickup times
- Use of approved kitchen areas and equipment during scheduled kitchen time
- Customer pickup through The Q’s approved pickup area during the scheduled Retail Pickup Window
All kitchen time and pickup time must be scheduled in advance.
Refrigeration During the 90-Day Retail Pickup Launch Plan
The 90-Day Retail Pickup Launch Plan may include limited temporary use of designated cooler space during the operator’s scheduled kitchen time and pickup window, if approved by The Q and if space is available.
Temporary cooler use is limited to approved food or ingredients connected with that scheduled production and pickup session. Items must be properly sealed, labeled, and removed by the end of the approved pickup window unless separate refrigerated storage has been approved in writing by The Q.
The 90-Day Retail Pickup Launch Plan does not include reserved refrigerator space, overnight refrigeration, freezer space, dedicated cooler space, recurring storage, or holding food between scheduled sessions unless separately approved and priced.
Assigned refrigeration, freezer space, dry storage, or dedicated cooler use may be available as a separate service.
Separate Production and Pickup Times
The operator’s scheduled kitchen time and Retail Pickup Window may occur on the same day or on different days, if approved by The Q.
If production and pickup occur on different days, any food, ingredients, or packaged orders remaining at The Q between production and pickup must be held only in approved storage or refrigeration.
Overnight holding, reserved refrigeration, freezer space, dry storage, or dedicated cooler space must be separately approved and priced.
Same-day temporary cooler use may be allowed during the operator’s scheduled kitchen time and pickup window, if approved by The Q and if space is available.
What the Plan Does Not Include
This plan does not include:
- Dedicated refrigeration
- Dedicated freezer space
- Dedicated dry storage
- The Bear wood-fired smoker
- Chargrill use
- Food Truck Commissary service
- Catering service unless separately approved
- Additional kitchen hours
- Additional pickup days
- Dine-in service
- Walk-in restaurant service
- Unscheduled access
- Overnight holding or storage unless separately approved and priced
- Use of areas or equipment not specifically approved
Any additional services must be separately approved, scheduled, and priced.
Who This Plan Is For
This plan may be a good fit for an operator who wants to test one focused food idea, such as:
- one weekly pickup menu
- one family-meal offering
- one meal-prep menu
- one dessert box
- one pasta-tray pickup
- one chicken-plate day
- one take-and-bake concept
- another limited food offering approved by The Q
The best fit is an operator who already has a clear food idea, can manage preorders, and wants to test demand before taking on larger facility costs.
This plan works best when the operator can produce, package, clean, and reset within the included kitchen time.
Preorder and Pickup Model
The 90-Day Retail Pickup Launch Plan is built around preorders.
This plan is not designed for walk-up sales, dine-in service, or an open-ended restaurant menu.
The operator is responsible for:
- menu;
- pricing;
- online ordering;
- customer communication;
- payment collection;
- packaging;
- labeling, if required;
- sales tax compliance;
- customer service;
- permits, licenses, and insurance;
- Health Department compliance.
The Q does not operate the food business for the operator.
The Q provides approved kitchen access and scheduled retail pickup access under a written agreement.
Health Department and Approval
All operators must be approved before using The Q.
The operator is responsible for satisfying applicable Health Department requirements for the food business.
The Q may provide facility information or commissary/facility confirmation when appropriate, but use of The Q does not automatically mean the operator is approved to sell food.
No operator may begin production or retail pickup until the required approvals, agreement, schedule, and payment arrangements are complete.
Onboarding Fee and Deposit
A one-time $100 onboarding fee applies before first use.
A refundable security deposit may also be required before first use, depending on the approved arrangement.
90-Day Review
This plan is intended as a launch period.
At the end of 90 days, The Q and the operator will review:
- actual kitchen hours used;
- pickup flow;
- customer volume;
- menu fit;
- cleanup and reset;
- scheduling needs;
- refrigeration or storage needs;
- operator reliability;
- whether the concept appears workable;
- and whether the operator should continue, adjust, expand, or move to a regular plan.
After the 90-day launch period, continued use may require a new agreement, a regular Kitchen Access tier, Retail Pickup Window pricing, or separately approved services.
Example
An operator wants to sell Italian family meals once per week.
She uses her own Square online store for preorders.
She schedules four kitchen hours on Friday to prepare, package, clean, and reset.
Customers pick up prepaid orders later that same day during a two-hour Retail Pickup Window.
She does not need dedicated storage, dedicated refrigeration, smoker use, chargrill use, or additional pickup days.
That kind of focused weekly launch may fit the 90-Day Retail Pickup Launch Plan.
Start with a Conversation
The Q — Commercial Kitchen & Commissary
106 South Main Street
Boaz, Alabama
Call or text 256-557-0517 to schedule a tour or conversation.
