Here at Northern Waters we take customer service just as seriously as we do the food we make. And just like our food, we are constantly rethinking and refining our services in order to make them as good as possible.
In the beginning, the only way to order was in person at our tiny Canal Park deli. Often that would include a very long wait in line, followed by another wait after the order was added to the queue. Later, after several expansions (though our deli remained small) we were able to add phone orders to the mix. Eventually we also added online ordering capabilities, and we were really off to the races.
When the pandemic hit we closed our doors. We had to decide what to do, and fast. Do we close completely and wait it out, or do we find a way to keep delivering our delectable smoked delights to hungry loyal customers. It was a no-brainer. We went all-in with both phone and online ordering (as well as our own delivery department). And it worked! We were able to stay “open” while also keeping our customers and staff safe and healthy (and well fed). In fact the only reason we ever “closed” was to remodel our deli space in order to better serve this new model.
Eventually we were able to add Order and Pickup windows out on the deck, and start serving people in-person again, just like those early days. Even better, we were able to more than double the amount of seating and triple our sandwich making capacity. But now we were faced with both the familiar lines of people AND a “virtual” line of people ordering online. We were often opening up for the day with orders streaming out of the printer and pooling onto the floor. Not great. Again, we had to rethink and refine. This involved much trial and error, and many meetings with software developers and other food industry folks. Eventually we landed with the system we have now which, for us, is the best of many different worlds.
All of this is a long winded way to explain why you might have some difficulty placing your online orders during our busy season. We limit the number of orders were are able to take online so that we can give all customers the best service possible. Think of it more like reserving a table at a restaurant. There are only so many tables and only so much time. And you can order well in advance if you know when you will be visiting us.
We love talking with you in person, chatting about food, the weather, charcuterie, the greatest of Great Lakes, cheese, the weather some more, but mostly about food. And we also know that you might want to skip all of that and simply grab your order and go. We hope that all of our continued efforts will give you exactly the experience you are hoping for, and maybe some great tastes, too.