Deli coming to old Food Front building

Better Half Sandwiches moving from North Portland

Landlord Mark New (left) with his first tenants in the former Food Front building, Better Half Sandwiches owners Kelly Haarsager and Alan Oborn.

Better Half Sandwiches has leased part of the former Food Front Cooperative Grocery building at 2375 NW Thurman St., which has been vacant for three years.

The deli, founded by husband-and-wife team Kelly Haarsager and Alan Oborn in 2020, was forced to move after Portland Public Schools acquired its location on North Fremont Street. An August opening is planned.

Better Half will occupy 2,000 square feet of the 8,000-square-foot building. Mark New, whose company bought the property in October, hopes to find a food market to rent the remaining part of the structure.

Better Half will open for breakfast and lunch, featuring a lemongrass tofu sandwich, house-made chips and hash browns. Coffee drinks will include espresso.

Oborn, who attended Chapman Elementary School, is particularly pleased to be returning to his old neighborhood.

Kelly Haarsager and Alan Oborn are making plans for their new space, which will be larger than their original location on North Fremont Street.