HOUSTON — A Houston staple of 41 years faces uncertainty as an ongoing port strike could leave it with empty shelves.
Haig Tcholakian, the owner of Phoenicia Specialty Foods, fears his store could be in trouble if the strike doesn’t end soon. He explained he still has products on ships and isn’t sure if he will receive them in time for the holidays.
Phoenicia specializes in international foods with a location on Austin Street downtown and another on Westheimer Road in the Westchase area.
"We are an international grocery store. Our staples are from around the world," he said.
For a city as diverse as Houston, Phoenicia is the place where customers can find goods that remind them of home.
“Specialty products from anywhere, holiday products coming from Italy, for instance, we have panettone cakes which we bring in every year, which is a very traditional Eastern and Christmas tradition for Europeans,” he said.
However, this year, the owner said he fears that those coveted products might not make it if the strike continues.
“Containers overseas, and for every week the strike goes on, it could be months in delays for us getting our products just because of the backlog of ships and unloading process,” he said.
Tcholakian said they currently get a majority of their goods from overseas, roughly 60 to 70 percent. It worries him how they’re going to keep their shelves stocked.
“You find some other sources here in the States that have some backstock,” he said.
The owner said he understands why the workers are doing the strike, but he hopes both sides can come to the table soon with a negotiation that helps everyone.