From their website, ‘Phoenicia Specialty Foods is a dream that started modestly in 1983. Arpi and Zohrab Tcholakian, formerly of Lebanon and of Armenian descent, opened Phoenicia Deli, a 2,500 square foot, Mediterranean-style delicatessen and grocery, on Westheimer Road in Houston, Texas. Zohrab convinced Arpi that it would be best for them to pursue their passion for food and not wait for the lay-offs that awaited those in Zohrab’s engineering profession during the collapse of the oil industry in the 1980s. Zohrab, as a child, enjoyed working in his father’s corner grocery store in Lebanon. The business came very naturally to them, and despite the economic downturn of the 1980s, the Tcholakians were determined and created a loyal following. Phoenicia Deli still flourishes as a restaurant just across the street from where it once originated and is now called Arpi’s Phoenicia Deli after the matriarch of the family.’ From the Houston Eater website, ‘With locations in Downtown and West Houston, this specialty market is known for its bounty of international goods, but it’s also a great place to score a meal. Find artisan breads, European pastries, gourmet meats and cheeses, and boutique wines to take home, and then stick around for a crafted beverage like Zohrab’s chai or choco-halva latte from the coffee bar. Meze, or small dishes, like the spiced hummus, Sicilian olives, and grape leaves are also on offer.’ NOTE: They have multiple locations.
Need to add Phoenicia Specialty Foods to the HOU and TX JSON files.
Phoenicia Specialty Foods
Address: 1001 Austin St, Houston, TX 77010
Phone: (832) 360-2222
URL - https://phoeniciafoods.com/
From their website, ‘Phoenicia Specialty Foods is a dream that started modestly in 1983. Arpi and Zohrab Tcholakian, formerly of Lebanon and of Armenian descent, opened Phoenicia Deli, a 2,500 square foot, Mediterranean-style delicatessen and grocery, on Westheimer Road in Houston, Texas. Zohrab convinced Arpi that it would be best for them to pursue their passion for food and not wait for the lay-offs that awaited those in Zohrab’s engineering profession during the collapse of the oil industry in the 1980s. Zohrab, as a child, enjoyed working in his father’s corner grocery store in Lebanon. The business came very naturally to them, and despite the economic downturn of the 1980s, the Tcholakians were determined and created a loyal following. Phoenicia Deli still flourishes as a restaurant just across the street from where it once originated and is now called Arpi’s Phoenicia Deli after the matriarch of the family.’ From the Houston Eater website, ‘With locations in Downtown and West Houston, this specialty market is known for its bounty of international goods, but it’s also a great place to score a meal. Find artisan breads, European pastries, gourmet meats and cheeses, and boutique wines to take home, and then stick around for a crafted beverage like Zohrab’s chai or choco-halva latte from the coffee bar. Meze, or small dishes, like the spiced hummus, Sicilian olives, and grape leaves are also on offer.’ NOTE: They have multiple locations.
Samantha Brown (YouTube)