HAINES — Brad Mitchell is a blur in the small kitchen, first sauteing the piles of fresh vegetables before changing spots to slice juicy strips of brisket.

“We want it as fresh as possible,” he said, sampling an end piece of the brisket before he starts slicing again. “Those vegetables were picked at 10 a.m.”

He paused, savoring the meat he put on the barbecue at 11 p.m. the night before.

“That’s the best one yet,” he said, skewering a few more pieces to share with the others crowded in the kitchen at the Haines Market and Deli — his wife, Kim, and store employee Angie Shurtleff.

The clock showed 4:45 p.m. and customers were already lining up outside the store in downtown Haines, population about 380, to ensure they got a plate of brisket, veggies, garlic mashed potatoes and a homemade roll.

This is the Thursday Supper Club, and the hungry diners didn’t want to miss out.

“The fastest we’ve sold out is 5:30 p.m.,” Brad said.

They start serving at 5 p.m.

Since that sold-out night, he’s made sure to cook an ample amount of the main dish — on July 11, he had five briskets ready to slice for about 70 pounds of total meat.

A long journey to Haines

The Mitchells bought the store, originally called the Haines Sell-Rite, in March 2024.

Their route to Haines was a bit circuitous. Several years ago, they quit their jobs in Boise (he worked in marketing and she was a technical project manager), bought a Sprinter van and spent a year touring the country to decide where they wanted to live.

“We did 38 states and landed in Haines,” Kim said.

Haines, on Highway 30 about 10 miles north of Baker City and eight miles south of North Powder, is close to both their families as well as skiing at Anthony Lakes Mountain Resort.

Kim said they kept driving by the store, which occupies a two-story stone building on the main street of Haines.

They bought it.

“We knew it was an opportunity to serve the community,” Kim said.

Brad works the front of the store and Kim handles business in the back. Shurtleff, who has managed the store’s deli for almost four years, is still making sandwiches and baked goods — including the rolls for the Thursday supper.

“He’s super social — I’m not sure this is work for him,” Kim said with a smile as Brad circulated around the tables to visit with diners on July 11.

Over their four months of ownership, the Mitchells have added to the offerings in most areas of the store.

“We’ve more than doubled the inventory. It keeps growing,” Kim said.

One addition is fresh produce from the nearby Cold Coffee Farm, and they sauteed a variety of those vegetables for the July 11 meal.

“We wanted to give people a taste of what it tastes like on the dinner plate,” Kim said.

A new tradition

The Thursday Supper Club started about two months ago. The first one was a group of about 20 who gathered for bacon cheeseburgers. It was a good time, Brad said, except that the barbecue’s flame kept extinguishing in the windy alley as he cooked in a spring rainstorm.

For the second week, he cooked ribs. Word had spread, and more people came.

“The friends who prodded us to do it the first week showed up late and we were sold out,” Brad said with a laugh.

The week featuring tri-tip also sold out.

“I vowed never to run out again — hence, a cooler full of brisket,” he said.

The cooler’s job this time, rather than keep drinks icy cold, was to keep the meat piping hot.

Leftover protein shows up on the Friday lunch special — for July 12, hungry customers could order a brisket sandwich.

“The Friday lunch special is pretty darn good,” he said.

Although Brad previously worked in marketing, he’s always liked to cook.

“A long line of cooks in my family,” he said.

“We use a lot of his mom’s recipes,” Shurtleff said.

In two months of the Thursday Supper Club, their biggest night featured 90 plates served. Meals can be purchased as takeout, or diners can sit at one of the tables inside the store. Brad said they expanded their liquor license to offer a wider variety of beverage choices for those who stay to eat.

“We can serve beer and wine with our dinners,” he said.

Jerry Schaefer, who lives in Haines, patiently waited for the official start time of 5 p.m. to order his meal to go on July 11.

“I think it’s great — it’s all good,” he said.

Across the room, Kim’s parents, John and Peggy Everts of Unity, in southern Baker County, shared a plate piled with food. (They shared, John said with a smile, because he’d already eaten the cheesecake dessert.)

“Oh, this is yummy,” Peggy said after sampling a bite of brisket.

Although the Mitchells and Shurtleff deftly moved around each other in the small kitchen as they prepared meals, their work will be a bit easier after they install a commercial kitchen — a project about six weeks out.

“That will change everything,” Kim said.

In addition to the Thursday suppers, the market continues to offer take-and-bake pizzas, fresh-made sandwiches, a hot case and specials, such as Taco Tuesday.

The store is open 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 9 a.m.-3 p.m. on Sunday.

The Thursday Supper Club runs from 5-7 p.m. Diners can call ahead to reserve a meal, or simply show up to order.

Each week’s menu is posted by Tuesday on the Haines Market & Deli Facebook page. For more information, follow the market on social media or call 541-856-3200.