Miracle Mile Deli Celebrates 69th Anniversary!

The Place: Miracle Mile Deli
The Location: 4433 N. 16th Street, Phoenix
The Hours: Mon-Fri 10:30 am to 8 pm, Sat-Sun 7 am to 8 pm
By: Laura Stoddard

On May 10th Miracle Mile Deli will celebrate its 69th year in business here in the Valley. With an expansive (and delicious) menu, family-friendly vibe, great location, and loyal clientele, this has become a beloved Phoenix staple. I recently had the opportunity to sit down with Josh Garcia, Vice President (and grandson of the original founder), to talk about the restaurant’s history, successes, and ways in which they’re celebrating this special milestone.

The Story
Miracle Mile Deli was founded by Brooklyn boy Jack Grodzinsky, who moved to Arizona from New York in 1949. Having some experience in the food industry, Jack decided to open a restaurant. “My grandfather started working in a bakery when he was nine years old,” says Josh. “He kind of learned things just by being hands on.”

He acquired an existing space on McDowell Road and 16th Street in Phoenix, which used to be called ‘The Miracle Mile’, hence the name. “I started working here when I was ten,” says Josh. “I wasn’t tall enough to see over the counter top, so I stood on a milk crate. I came in on Saturday mornings and served coffee. My parents actually met here! My dad was a bus boy and my mom was a cashier (they married much later), so we’re very family oriented.”

The family feel extends to the employees as well, many having been with the restaurant for a decade or more. With a focus on teamwork, quality, and exceptional customer service, they’re a close-knit team. “The head chef has actually been with us for 35 years,” shares Josh. “A lot of these guys are like family.”

The Restaurant
Miracle Mile’s menu is vast and varied. You’ll find comfort food, like meatloaf and beef stew, lighter options, such as wraps and salads, baked goods, including bread, rolls and pies, and American classics like cheeseburgers and mac n’ cheese. Many of their items can be bought in bulk, or by the pound, including hot pastrami, honey cured ham, “sandwich” salads (like chunky Albacore tuna or chicken, walnut and grape), a variety of cheeses and sides, and fresh baked breads and rolls by the loaf or dozen. These provide a fantastic option for picnics, parties and other large gatherings where you want to save yourself some work, but still provide food that tastes home cooked.

Upon Josh’s recommendation, I tried The Times Square Cheesesteak, a delightful amalgamation of flavorful grilled beef brisket, grilled onion, bell peppers, Miracle Mile dressing, and plenty of melted pepperjack cheese, all held together by fresh French bread. To tell you how good it was; I’m one of those people who usually cuts a large sandwich or burger in half, taking the second half to go because I can’t make it through it all in one sitting. Make no mistake, this sandwich was large and in charge, and even came cut in half, saving me some work–but it didn’t need to be, because I ate the whole thing! Lip-smacking good, folks. Go try it and see.

How They’re Celebrating the 69th Anniversary
** $100 Miracle Mile Gift Card given away every hour from 11 am to 8 pm ~ Come in and register any time during the day
** Customers 69 years old will get a $.69 sandwich!
** 20% of all proceeds that day will go to Feeding Matters, a local non-profit dedicated to raising awareness of pediatric feeding struggles

I asked Josh what the secret is to staying in business–especially the restaurant business–and especially in the ever-expanding Phoenix market–for 69 years. “I think what defines us are three key characteristics; the quality of the product, the consistency of the product, and the service we provide to the customer. We take pride in what we provide. If you’ve lived here long enough, you have a miracle mile story, you’ve brought family; you’ve brought friends. You can come here and be in and out in 30 minutes, or you can come and hang out for 3 hours.”

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