| Client | Market | Engagement |
|---|---|---|
| Sankranti | Atlanta, Georgia United States | Since approx. 2023 |
Engagement focus
Helping a founder-led Indian-inspired quick-service restaurant business move from an uncertain expansion path toward a more structured, research-led and technology-enabled growth model.
This case study reflects the engagement status described by the client as of October 2026. It distinguishes operating results from locations and capabilities still in development.
01 / EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
From an uneven starting point to a more structured expansion model
When Marcus & Co began working with Sankranti around 2023, the business had three QSR locations, but only one was performing well. The other two were subsequently closed. The founder had a larger ambition: to build a scalable Indian-inspired QSR brand in the United States, with a model that could grow across Atlanta and eventually into other markets.
The challenge was not a lack of ambition. It was the need to connect location decisions, customer demand, pricing, margins, technology, operational consistency and expansion planning into a more coordinated business model. Sankranti's menu combines Indian flavours with formats such as bowls and wraps intended to appeal to a broader customer base.
Marcus & Co's work has spanned location research, commercial recommendations, delivery-partner coordination, ordering and catering applications, inventory visibility, marketing campaigns and operational improvement recommendations. The engagement has focused on strengthening the foundations needed for expansion rather than presenting expansion as complete.
The central learning: growth becomes more repeatable when expansion decisions are supported by research, commercial discipline, consistent product quality, customer feedback, capable teams and systems designed for the next stage.
Engagement status at a glance
| Starting point | Current position described | Next phase |
|---|---|---|
| Three locations; two underperforming locations later closed. | One location operating; four additional locations leased and in development, with construction underway as reported. | Five to six further location opportunities under discussion; expansion remains in progress. |
Location status is based on the information shared for this case study. The four locations in development are not described as operating outlets.
02 / THE BUSINESS CHALLENGE
A clear ambition, but an uneven operating foundation
The founder wanted to build a large-scale Indian-inspired QSR business in the United States. At the beginning of the engagement, several practical barriers stood between that ambition and a repeatable expansion model.
- Location uncertainty: expansion choices needed a more structured way to assess local demand, competition, customer mix, rent and operating potential.
- Uneven location performance: only one of the original three locations was performing well, leading to the closure of the other two by the end of 2023.
- Commercial structure: menu pricing, competitor comparisons, margin considerations and delivery economics needed closer alignment.
- Limited technology infrastructure: ordering, catering and inventory processes needed digital support as the business prepared for more locations.
- Customer experience and consistency: reviews raised concerns about service interactions and perceptions of food freshness, highlighting the need for better staff guidance and quality oversight.
- Local demand development: the business needed ways to reach students, nearby communities and corporate catering customers while preparing new sites.
The consulting question
How could Sankranti make better-informed expansion decisions and put the commercial, technology and customer-facing foundations in place before adding more locations—without losing control of the customer experience?
03 / STRATEGIC APPROACH
Build a repeatable decision process—not just a list of new locations
Marcus & Co worked with the founder on a more structured way to evaluate expansion opportunities. Paid industry research documents, including Bain reports and other food-and-beverage research, informed the evaluation alongside local market considerations. The research was used as an input to decision-making; final location decisions remained with the founder.
Location evaluation factors
| Market demand | Location and access | Commercial viability |
|---|---|---|
| Population and household income; college and employment density; local food habits; seasonal changes in student presence. | Traffic, parking, walk-in potential, nearby destinations and delivery demand. | Direct and indirect competitors, competitor reviews and offers, rent considerations, pricing and potential margins. |
The approach also considered launch timing. For student-oriented locations, academic calendars and vacation periods can affect customer availability and demand. Local offers and menu emphasis may need to reflect the audience around each site rather than assume that the same plan will work everywhere.
04 / WHAT MARCUS & CO WORKED ON
Six connected workstreams
01 Market research and expansion planning
Structured the evaluation of prospective locations around population, college and employment density, local customer behaviour, competition, traffic, parking, delivery demand and commercial considerations. The founder retained final approval and location-selection authority.
02 Pricing and commercial structure
Reviewed comparable competitor pricing and supported decisions around menu pricing, margins, location-specific menu choices, student offers and meal-plan concepts. Delivery pricing and delivery-partner arrangements were also addressed. The founder retained responsibility for overall financial management.
03 Ordering, catering and inventory technology
Supported live food-ordering and catering applications. The technology setup includes POS integration and inventory visibility, including expiry tracking. Catering and group-meal workflows are intended to make bulk orders easier to configure around different dietary preferences.
04 Delivery and fulfilment
Worked on onboarding third-party delivery partners and considering lower-cost delivery for nearby orders. A future model has been planned in which orders can be routed to a nearby QSR as the network grows; this should be treated as a future-state capability unless confirmed live.
05 Local demand and brand presentation
Executed a branded student flash mob involving approximately 35–40 participants, developed premium food photography and video content, and used social media, the website and paid channels to build awareness. Facebook supported B2C activity; Google was used for B2C and B2B activity, with LinkedIn used for B2B outreach.
06 Customer experience and operating guidance
Reviewed customer feedback and reviews, raised service-greeting and food-freshness concerns, and recommended clearer staff guidance, training and quality oversight. Basic guidance was shared with staff, and the client implemented changes. Kitchen execution and day-to-day food-quality control remained primarily with the client.
Catering as an additional use case
The catering app supports bulk-order scenarios such as a corporate group ordering for an event. A meal-planning recommendation feature can help organise a group order around different dietary preferences, such as vegetarian and non-vegetarian choices. The intention is to reduce manual complexity for larger orders and make catering easier to coordinate.
05 / TECHNOLOGY AND MARKET ACTIVATION
Designing for today's needs and tomorrow's footprint
Capabilities described as live
- Food-ordering application and catering/bulk-ordering application.
- POS integration and order tracking.
- Inventory visibility, including expiry tracking.
- Customized meal-planning recommendations for catering/group orders.
Future capabilities and scale considerations
- Conversational ordering, where customers can enter requirements and receive assistance configuring an order.
- A broader company-managed delivery and dispatch structure when the location network is large enough to support it.
- Routing orders to the nearest suitable QSR location to help reduce delivery distance and fulfilment time.
These future-state concepts are not presented as fully deployed capabilities. The case study describes AI as an area of enablement and development; it does not claim that every planned AI workflow is already live.
Awareness before opening
The food truck has been used as an awareness channel while new locations are being prepared, helping introduce the brand and create local interest ahead of openings. B2B activity has also supported enquiries. The available information does not establish a verified sales or revenue figure attributable to the truck, so the case study treats it as a market-awareness initiative rather than a proven sales driver.
The student flash mob and premium visual content were designed to make the brand more visible and appealing to audiences beyond a narrowly defined Indian customer base. The brand's Indian-inspired bowls, wraps and related menu formats were positioned for a broader local market.
06 / PROGRESS TO DATE
What has changed—and what remains in progress
| Area | Progress described | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Expansion | Four additional locations leased with construction underway; college and airport opportunities approved for the first phase, as described by the client. | In development |
| Technology | Ordering and catering apps live, with POS integration and inventory tracking capabilities. | Live capabilities reported |
| Commercial structure | Competitor pricing, margins, delivery economics and location-specific offers considered or implemented to varying degrees. | Partially implemented |
| Local marketing | Branded student activation executed; premium content and food-truck awareness activity used to build local visibility. | Executed / ongoing |
| Customer experience | Customer reviews informed staff guidance and recommendations on service and perceived food freshness. | Ongoing improvement |
At the time of this case study, one location is operating. Four additional locations have been leased and are in development, with openings anticipated in the coming months according to the information shared. Five to six further opportunities are under discussion. These figures describe a pipeline and should not be interpreted as five or more operating locations.
No confidential sales, order-volume, average-order-value, margin or profitability figures are included. The business has reported meaningful progress, but this case study does not assign a quantified financial result to Marcus & Co without verified, publishable evidence.
07 / WHAT REMAINS CHALLENGING
The next stage requires stronger on-ground execution
- Food quality and consistency: customer perceptions of freshness remain an area requiring more systematic oversight. A stronger quality-check routine and clear accountability are important as new locations open.
- Delivery performance: longer-distance orders can create expectations that are difficult to meet within short delivery windows. Delivery coverage, staffing and fulfilment promises need to be aligned.
- Operational adoption: documented guidance only creates value when teams consistently follow it. Training, audits and local ownership will become more important across a wider network.
- Technology maturity: the future dispatch model, conversational ordering and broader AI-enabled workflows require further development and implementation as the business grows.
- Cross-border coordination: working from India with an operating business in the United States creates limits on direct observation and day-to-day control. Clear communication, local accountability and reliable feedback loops are essential.
08 / KEY LEARNINGS
What this engagement reinforced
Research should inform decisions, not replace judgement.
Market data can structure the choice, but the founder's on-ground understanding and final evaluation remain critical.
A location strategy must reflect local behaviour.
Student-heavy areas, employment centres and other trade areas can have different demand patterns, pricing sensitivities and seasonal rhythms.
Technology is valuable when it solves operating problems.
Ordering, catering, POS integration and inventory visibility can create a foundation for scale, but the workflows must be adopted and maintained.
Customer feedback must lead to operational action.
Reviews can reveal service and food-quality issues. Improvement depends on staff training, quality ownership and consistent follow-through.
Marketing and operations must move together.
Generating interest is only part of growth. Product consistency, delivery reliability and the customer experience influence whether demand becomes repeat business.
Expansion readiness is a system, not a store count.
A business becomes more prepared to scale when its commercial model, people, processes, technology and decision-making can support the next location.
Conclusion
Sankranti's journey demonstrates the work involved in moving from an ambitious founder-led vision toward a more structured growth model. Marcus & Co's role has connected market research, commercial recommendations, technology, local awareness and customer-feedback-led improvements across a nearly three-year engagement.
The next phase is still being built. The four leased locations in development, the additional opportunities under discussion and the unresolved challenges in food consistency and delivery all point to the same conclusion: opening new locations is only one part of scaling a QSR. The business must also build the systems, team routines and quality controls that make the customer experience repeatable.
For Marcus & Co, the lasting lesson is clear: sustainable growth comes from combining informed decisions with disciplined execution—and being willing to improve the model as real-world feedback reveals what still needs work.
