As owner and founder of Phoenicia Specialty Foods, Arpi Tcholakian has created a domain where devoted diners have flocked for her signature recipes since 1983. In addition to creating original recipes for Arpi’s Phoenicia Deli and the Phoenicia Specialty Foods prepared foods section, Apri oversees operations, quality control and manages Arpi’s Phoenicia Deli.

Arpi is the force behind the delicious entrees, including the famed Phoenicia Shawarma Wraps, Arpi’s Salad and Arpi’s Walnut Baklava. In 2010, Phoenicia Specialty Foods renamed their Mediterranean eatery, Arpi’s Phoenicia Deli, as a tribute to the family matriarch for her tireless dedication to the business and the countless number of customers she has touched over the past three decades.

Arpi is a graduate of American University of Beirut and is currently a philanthropist to St. Kevork Armenian Church. She has three children, all of whom hold management positions at Phoenicia Specialty Foods, and two grandchildren. In her spare time she enjoys gardening and the theatre.