Far North Deli

Delicious sandwiches, wraps and salads.

Far North Deli nearly went out of business this past summer but at the last minute, Alison Henslee and her partner saved it. “I was home for a visit, heard that the deli was for sale and would close the following Friday,” Henslee said, “I looked at it Saturday, weighed the pros and cons on the train ride Sunday, made an offer on Monday and we bought it on Tuesday.” She then closed her business in Sidney, Montana, packed up her belongings and moved home. “The past year has been an adventure. I quit my job, moved 740 miles away and started a great food trailer business.” she said, “It was something I wanted to try and with an enormous amount of support of my partner and family, I did it.” That experience gave Alison the courage to come home to run a deli.

Investing in Bonners Ferry is important to Alison and her family. In May, her son, Wyatt, purchased a coffee stand from the Yount family. Wyatt, a 2008 graduate of BFHS, is living and working in the Bakken oil fields but wants to help encourage a stronger economy back home. “He feels the same way I do, that making a investment here is a positive move because hopefully some day soon, the tide will turn and people will be able to come home to work,” Henslee said. Her daughter, Sarah, operate Mojo’s Coffee for her brother and Alison is their business manager which means, as she puts it, “I’m still Mom, with a job title!” She also makes the breakfast burritos for Mojo’s.

Taking over the deli, she hopes to continue building on the strong foundation that previous owner, Michelle Gagnon, had started. “We were lucky to step in to an established business with a strong customer base already in place,” Henslee said, “I’ve simply added my own customer service experience and creativity to step things up a notch.” Far North Deli still offers the most popular sandwiches, wraps and salads that were on Gagnon’s menu but Alison plans to make a few changes based on customers’ feedback. “For simplicity’s sake, we kept things pretty much the same for now although we’ve strengthened the ‘Build Your Own’ sandwich/wrap/salad list. We’re adding breakfast and kid’s items to the menu as well as healthier selections for those with special dietary needs. Our main goal is to make sure that everything we serve is of the highest quality...and affordable.” Henslee reports. She makes salads and soups from scratch and bakes as much as she can. “Baking is my real passion so we’ll see, the deli may become half bakery, half deli in time!” They also do custom party trays and offer limited catering with plans to expand in the future.

Far North Deli is opened Monday through Friday from 7:30am to 3:30pm. The telephone number is the same, 208.267.2255, or you can text your order to 208.610.8806.

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