A new family-owned deli in Los Alamitos sells the kind of foreign products you won’t find anywhere else in the area.
Borsh Deli, now open at 10897 Los Alamitos Boulevard, should send a wave of nostalgia washing over Orange County residents with close European ties. That’s because the imported food and drinks in the shelves and coolers at Borsh Deli are shipped directly from countries like Armenia, Ukraine, Lithuania, Belarus, Georgia, Greece, Poland, Germany, France and more.
Courtesy photo
Store co-owner, George, was born in Syria and moved to the United States in 1970. His wife, Karen, was born in Nalchik, former Soviet Union, and moved to the United Stated in 1973. Her parents were doctors and very busy at work, leaving not a lot of time for the family. From her childhood, Karen remembers spending time with her housekeeper. Her delicious meals inspired Karen to learn to cook from an early age. After getting her master’s degree, she worked as a cardiac nurse and taught college nursing classes.
She is happy to get back in the kitchen to recreate dishes that she remembers from her childhood that her grandmother and housekeeper taught her. George and Karen envisioned opening their own deli chock full of the salads, soups, sweets, cheeses, meats, and soft drinks they grew up on.
George and Karen Hajian saw that vision come to life Wednesday when Borsh Deli opened its doors.
An ever-rotating selection of quality foreign candies, cookies, wafers and dilled vegetables can always be found on the rack of the deli.
Karen and George’s son, Ara Hajian, also helps at the Deli by working the register and stocking the shelves. He graduated from Babson College with a Business and Marketing degree. Ara said he’ll shape future import orders based on customer feedback.
“I want people to tell me what they like, what they don’t, what they want, because it will help me order exactly what everybody needs,” George Hajian said. “But no matter what, everything will be high quality. I’m very picky about ingredients.”
Borsh Deli is open Tuesday – Friday from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. Job openings are available for Deli workers. For more information about Borsh Deli, call 562-446-0704 or email DeliBorsh@gmail.com