Phoenicia Specialty Foods

What Phoenicia Specialty Foods does

Phoenicia Specialty Foods is a family-owned international food market headquartered in Houston, Texas. Founded in 1983 by Bob and Arpi Tcholakian as a 2,500-square-foot Mediterranean deli, the company has grown into a 40-year-old specialty food retailer operating two flagship markets — a 55,000-square-foot Westheimer location opened in 2006 and a 28,000-square-foot Downtown location opened in November 2011 — plus the Arpi's Phoenicia Deli restaurant, Phoenicia Coffee House, and the MKT BAR gastro-pub. The company offers more than 20,000 products imported from over 50 countries, emphasizing direct international sourcing to deliver specialty items at accessible price points.

The business operates a multi-format revenue model combining retail grocery sales, dine-in and grab-and-go prepared foods, full-service catering, wholesale distribution to restaurants and hotels, kids cooking classes, and nationwide shipping of gift products. Notably, the Westheimer market features a mezzanine bakery with a three-conveyor-belt system that transports freshly baked pita and flatbreads directly to customers on the ground floor, a signature operational differentiator. Distribution channels include in-store shopping, curbside pickup, Houston-area delivery, and nationwide e-commerce shipping for gift items.

The company serves a horizontally segmented customer base spanning food enthusiasts, downtown Houston residents and workers, corporate catering clients, event hosts, and wholesale B2B buyers. Its commercial strategy is anchored in community-driven engagement — including Houston Restaurant Weeks, the YUMMY! Wonderland festival, charitable partnerships, and in-store programming at MKT BAR — combined with content marketing through an extensive recipe library and social media presence. The business remains privately held under Tcholakian family ownership with no disclosed external funding.

Name

Phoenicia Specialty Foods

Legal name

Phoenicia Specialty Foods, Inc.

Website

https://phoeniciafoods.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Phoenicia Specialty Foods is a family-owned, Houston-based international food market operating two flagship retail locations (Westheimer and Downtown) plus a deli, coffee house, and gastro-pub, serving retail consumers, corporate catering clients, and wholesale buyers with 20,000+ specialty products imported from 50+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Food Retail

NAICS

Specialty Food Retailers (4452), All Other Specialty Food Retailers (445298), Other Specialty Food Retailers (44529), Baked Goods Retailers (445291)

SIC

Retail-Food Stores (5400), Retail-Grocery Stores (5411), Bakery Products (2050), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Gourmet & Fine Food Stores (CRAHAGAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Imported & Regional Specialty Food Stores (CRAHAGAL), Olive Oil, Vinegar & Condiment Specialty Stores (CRAHAGAJ), Ethnic Groceries & Shelf-Stable Foods Wholesale (AFAIAIAA), Specialty Condiments, Sauces & Pickles Wholesale (AFAIAIAJ)

Keywords

• Specialty food retail
• International grocery market
• Mediterranean deli catering
• Imported gourmet foods
• Cooking classes

Headquarters

HQ city

Houston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Retail Grocery Sales: In-store sales of international specialty food products across 20,000+ SKUs from more than 50 countries. Includes fresh produce, meats, cheeses, baked goods, prepared foods, wines, beers, and household items.
2. Prepared Foods and Dining: Arpi's Phoenicia Deli restaurant and Phoenicia Coffee House offer Mediterranean cuisine, sandwiches, family meals, and beverages for dine-in, pickup, or delivery.
3. Catering Services: Full-service catering for home, office, and special events. Offers pickup, delivery, and on-site catering with customized menus.
4. Gift Products and Shipping: Holiday gift boxes, gift cards, and gourmet products shipped nationwide through the company's online storefront.
5. Wholesale: Wholesale distribution of imported specialty food products to restaurants, hotels, and other businesses.
6. Kids Cooking Classes: YUMMY! Food classes for children aged 3-12, including holiday-themed sessions, with prices ranging from $50-65 per child per class.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Phoenicia Specialty Foods is a family-owned international gourmet food retailer operating the 55,000 sq ft Westheimer Market and the 28,000 sq ft Downtown Market in Houston, Texas, carrying 20,000+ specialty SKUs from more than 50 countries. The business also operates Arpi's Phoenicia Deli, Phoenicia Coffee House, the in-store MKT BAR gastro-pub, full-service catering, wholesale distribution, kids cooking classes, and nationwide gift shipping.

Product overview

Phoenicia Specialty Foods is a family-owned, one-stop gourmet international food market operating as a unified platform of retail locations and food service offerings. The core business consists of two flagship market locations (Westheimer Market at 55,000 sq ft and Downtown Market at 28,000 sq ft), supplemented by Arpi's Phoenicia Deli restaurant, Phoenicia Coffee House, and MKT BAR gastro-pub. The company offers more than 20,000 products from over 50 countries, with extensive in-house food production including bakery, deli, prepared foods, and catering services. Additional offerings include Kids YUMMY! cooking classes, online ordering with curbside pickup and delivery, wholesale services, and specialty departments spanning bakery, cheeses, deli meats, produce, wine & beer, coffee & tea, butcher shop & seafood, home goods, grains & spices, and oils & vinegars.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MKT BAR: An in-house gastro-pub located at the Downtown market, accommodating up to 260 guests and serving food and beverages.
• Arpi's Phoenicia Deli
• Phoenicia Coffee House

Products and services

• Phoenicia Westheimer Market A 55,000-square-foot international food market offering more than 20,000 products from over 50 countries at down-to-earth prices, featuring a mezzanine bakery with three conveyor belts that deliver fresh pita and flatbreads to customers on the ground floor.
• Phoenicia Downtown Market A 28,000-square-foot state-of-the-art market and Downtown Houston's first grocery store in over 40 years, offering prepared meals, sandwich station, salad bar, olive bar, espresso bar, bakery, fresh pizza corner, meats, cheeses, and gourmet gelatos.
• Arpi's Phoenicia Deli A Mediterranean-style restaurant and delicatessen offering gourmet Mediterranean food for dine-in, catering, and pickup/delivery, named after the matriarch of the Tcholakian family. Dining hours Mon-Thu 8 AM - 8 PM.
• Phoenicia Coffee House

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Trees for HoustonminorOthersCommunity involvement partnership with Trees for Houston for environmental sustainability initiatives.
• Ronald McDonald HouseminorOthersCorporate charitable partnership supporting Ronald McDonald House programs.
• Houston Food BankminorOthersAnnual participation in Houston Restaurant Weeks fundraiser. Donates proceeds from special menu sales to benefit the Houston Food Bank.
• Heroes for HandbagsminorOthersCharitable partnership supporting Heroes for Handbags cause.
• SEARCH Homeless ServicesminorOthersCommunity support partnership with SEARCH Homeless Services organization.
• United WayminorOthersCorporate charitable partnership with United Way of Greater Houston.
• FreshArtsminorOthersArts sponsorship partnership supporting FreshArts (formerly Spacetaker) cultural programs.
• Give 5% to Conserve HoustonminorOthersEnvironmental conservation partnership participating in Give 5% to Conserve Houston initiative.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights8 records

Direct peers

• Jungle Jim's International Market: Massive Ohio-based international food market with 200,000+ SKUs from 70+ countries. Closest peer on the "destination international grocery" axis — large-format, theatrical, multi-department specialty retail.
• Citarella: NYC specialty food retailer known for seafood, gourmet imports, and prepared foods. Comparable premium imported assortment and integrated prepared foods/gift shipping model, though serving a different metro.
• Zingerman's: Ann Arbor-based family-owned specialty food market with deli, bakery, and mail-order business. Closest peer structurally: independent, food-obsessed, multi-format specialty operator with strong national brand and direct-importing emphasis.
• Dean & DeLuca: Historically iconic US gourmet/specialty food retailer with cafe components. Comparable gourmet positioning and gift-box/wholesale channels, though significantly diminished footprint versus its prior scale.
• Mollie Stone's Markets: Independent California-based specialty grocer with premium imported assortment, in-house bakery/deli, and prepared foods. Closest independent regional peer on assortment depth and family/operator ownership style.
• Central Market (H-E-B): H-E-B's gourmet/specialty grocery banner operating multiple Texas locations including Houston. Directly comparable format: large-format specialty grocer with international assortment, prepared foods, in-store dining, and cooking education.
• Eataly: Italian-themed international gourmet marketplace combining retail with full-service restaurants, counters, and cooking classes. Directly comparable multi-format specialty food hall concept, though Italian-focused versus Phoenicia's pan-international scope.
• Balducci's: Specialty food retailer with prepared foods, gift baskets, and wholesale/catering arms. Comparable multi-channel specialty grocery model, though currently operating at smaller scale.

Broad incumbents

• Whole Foods Market: Amazon-owned national specialty/organic grocery chain with multiple Houston locations. Overlaps on premium imported assortment, prepared foods, and in-store dining — but operates at much greater scale and as part of Amazon's broader ecosystem.
• Trader Joe's: National specialty grocer with curated imported assortment at value price points. Competes for the same food-enthusiast shopper with an edited private-label-heavy model versus Phoenicia's 20,000-SKU breadth.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/PhoeniciaFoods
• Facebookfacebook.com/YUMSTOP
• Instagraminstagram.com/phoeniciafoods
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/phoenicia-specialty-foods

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Phoenicia Specialty Foods