Willow's Roni's Deli under new ownership

CC Skyfire Kitchen in Willow, which was previously Roni’s Deli and Pizza, is under new ownership. Murphy and Loretta Rankin and their family are bringing homestyle cooking and a welcoming family atmosphere to the community.

“It’s going to be fun,” Murphy said. “We want it to be a family kitchen, a family atmosphere.”

“Bringing people around with some good food is huge,” Loretta said. “Feed their bellies and it feeds their soul.”

The purchase of the deli was quick, Murphy said. He and daughter Kelsielyn had talked about purchasing a food truck together and had devised a four-year plan to make the dream a reality during a fishing trip in the Lower 48 this summer. When Murphy returned home, he saw that Roni’s house was for sale and asked her about the deli. She said she was looking to sell, but wanted to find the right person that lived within the community to take it over. After a few conversations, Murphy and his family decided to go all-in and purchase the deli. The name CC Skyfire Kitchen is a combination of Murphy and Kelsielyn’s nicknames.

“Our four-year plan to buy a food truck turned into a 60-day plan and we bought a deli,” Murphy laughed. “It’s something we’ve always talked about and instead of taking our time, we just dove off the deep end and bought a deli.”

Murphy, who has worked at Gorilla Fireworks for over 20 years and currently as their director of operations, said the first few weeks operating the kitchen have been a steep learning curve. Local regulars return for some of their favorite menu options while friends throughout the community stop by to support the new business.

“It’s been really great,” Loretta said. “Everybody’s been very welcoming.”

Kelsielyn and her husband Justin, both retired Air Force veterans, plan to move to Alaska this winter to assist the family with the business. As a baker, Kelsielyn plans to bake a variety of goods to sell and use in the kitchen. One of Murphy and Loretta’s daughters bakes sourdough in the kitchen every Monday and sells it by the loaf.

“Our family has always said, a family that cooks together stays together,” Murphy said.

As a family, Murphy explained that everything happens around the dinner table. From homeschooling, to making major family decisions and enjoying delicious food, everything important happens in the kitchen. And that’s what the family wants to bring to Willow in this new opportunity.

“We are a big kitchen family,” Loretta said. “We have people over and we cook and that’s just something that we love to do.”

Loretta has been working in the kitchen and running the day-to-day operations since they’ve opened. She oversees their son Isaac as he sits at one of the tables performing his homeschooling and serves and interacts with regulars and friends as they walk through the door.

“Everybody has been so kind,” Loretta said. “People are being very forgiving and helping us through. I think, really, honestly, just being a kind person and trying to bring people together, that’s the biggest thing. Gotta be good to people because they’ll match your energy, they’ll bring it back to you.”

The Rankins plan to keep the base menu the same, keeping old favorites like the Willow sandwich and the Willowbilly pizza. They have already begun adding new specials like gluten free soups to address the community’s ask to bring in a healthy menu for people with sensitivities. They plan to incorporate more of their own touch of homestyle cooking as they become more comfortable in the space.

The kitchen is currently open Tuesdays through Fridays from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Murphy said they have plans to expand to Saturdays once more help arrives. They plan to give back to their community in any way they can and carry on the legacy that Roni brought to Willow during her almost 20 years in business.

“We’re going to give it our all,” Murphy said.

“Come in and give us a try. We’re excited to meet everybody, share some recipes and see how it goes,” Loretta said.