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Phoenicia Specialty Foods opened its second international food store in downtown Houston on Nov. 10.

Located inside a luxury high rise next to Discovery Green Park, the 28,000-square-foot specialty food store features more than 10,000 SKUs imported from more than 50 countries. Special offerings include a gelato bar and prepared foods including a gourmet sandwich station, fresh baked pizza, salad bar and olive bar. Plus there’s a demonstration kitchen, wine and cigar department, a fine housewares area and a full-service bakery. Free parking and catering and downtown delivery services are available.

“It’s amazing to see how much downtown Houston has evolved over the past few years. We at Phoenicia are thrilled to contribute to its renewal and bring our international market to the heart of the city,” says Haig Tcholakian, Phoenicia Specialty Foods co-owner.

The urban location also features two 150-foot pita bread conveyor belts that transport freshly baked pita bread and artisan flat breads from the market’s mezzanine bakery to customers below.

The downtown Phoenicia also features MKT Bar, an in-house wine and beer bar that serves international fare. The restaurant seats up to 250 customers.

Phoenicia’s roots date back to 1983, when Bob and Arpi Tcholakian, formerly of Lebanon and of Armenian descent, opened a 2,500-square-foot, Mediterranean-style delicatessen. In 1992, they rented out additional space to store the many imported goods they were receiving. Soon, retail and wholesale customers started going to the storage space to purchase specialty foods, and it evolved into a specialty foods market. In 2006, the family opened Phoenicia Specialty Foods, a 55,000-square-foot international food market across the street from the deli.