KHOU CultureMap Moment
All grown up: Phoenicia celebrates 30th anniversary with international flair
One of Houston's most iconic grocery stores and a bonafide Houston tourist attraction, Phoenicia Specialty Foods is celebrating its 30th anniversary this week (Nov. 4-10). For a recent KHOU CultureMap Moment, Channel 11 morning actor Lily Jang caught up with Phoenicia's Haig Tcholakian, the son of the founders, and CultureMap's Clifford Pugh to discuss the store and the anniversary celebration at the downtown and west Houston locations.
Coming from humble beginnings and, at first, selling only shawarma, a meat wrapped in pita sandwich, Phoenicia now carries 15,000 products from over 50 countries. Phoenicia is also known as a favorite of local chefs like Monica Pope of Sparrow Bar + Cookshop and Chris Shepard of Underbelly.
Phoenicia will host several events to celebrate its 30th anniversary, including a party to honor Mama and Papa Tcholakian during Friends & Fam Night at MKT BAR in the downtown location Nov. 6, with a traditional Armenian-Lebanese buffet and music by Guest DJ Craig T. Brown of Heights Vinyl, and a free '80s-themed party, the "1983 Grocery Get Down," at MKT BAR on Nov. 9.
See the KHOU CultureMap video here: