How to Open a Convenience Store: A Step-by-Step Guide

The U.S. has 151,975 convenience stores, according to the 2026 NACS/NIQ TDLinx count, and 63% of them belong to companies with 10 or fewer stores. This is still an industry where independent owners compete. What separates the stores that do well is mostly decided before opening day: the location, the concept and the plan.

1. Decide the concept

Answer three questions first, because every later decision depends on them:

• Fuel or no fuel? About 80.7% of U.S. convenience stores sell fuel. Fuel brings traffic but adds major cost and regulation. See how to start a gas station.
• How much food? NACS reports that foodservice was 28.5% of in-store sales and 38.9% of in-store gross profit in 2025. Food is the margin engine, and it shapes the building.
• What size? From a 1,200 sq ft mini store to a 5,000 sq ft large format. See convenience store sizes.

2. Find and test a location

Traffic counts, access, visibility, competition and zoning. A good store on a bad site rarely recovers. See choosing a location and our feasibility study guide.

3. Buy, build or remodel

Buying an operating store gives you sales history; building new gives you the store you want. See buy or build.

4. Write the business plan and line up financing

Lenders want the concept, the site, the budget and projections. Many owners use SBA 7(a) or 504 loans. See business plan and financing.

5. Design the store

Floor plan, equipment package, electrical and refrigeration layouts, fixtures and graphics. This is where the budget becomes real, because contractors and lenders price from drawings. See what's included in store design.

6. Permits and licenses

Zoning, building permit, health permit for food, fuel-tank registration, alcohol, tobacco and lottery licenses, sales tax registration. See the pre-construction checklist. For who issues each license where you're building, see our state guides for Oklahoma, Texas, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and more states.

7. Build or remodel

Your general contractor builds the shell; trades rough in power and plumbing to match the equipment drawings.

8. Install equipment

Coolers, walk-ins, food service, shelving, counters and graphics, delivered and installed in sequence with construction.

9. Hire and train

NACS reports the average store has 19.9 employees. Your number depends on hours, size and food program.

10. Stock and open

Set up supplier accounts, point-of-sale, inventory and opening promotions.

Where to start

If you have a site or a building in mind, start with a floor plan. It tells you whether the concept fits and what it will cost. Try the budget estimator, then see how design-build works for first-time owners.

Sources

• NACS, "2026 Sees Slight Decrease in C-Store Count" (January 2026), NACS/NIQ TDLinx store count.
• NACS, "U.S. Convenience In-Store Sales Top $340 Billion" (April 2026), 2025 State of the Industry data.
• Terrapin Construction Group, "Convenience Store & Gas Station Construction Cost (2026)."