Theresa Grivas was 13 years old when she landed her first deli job, and she has been working in kitchens across the country ever since. Now 60 years old, Grivas refuses to slow down in the sandwich-making department — rather, quite the opposite.
After getting laid off at the start of the pandemic, she decided to take her career into her own hands. She will soon open up The Deli Buzz, a specialty sandwich shop at 6450 Lusk Blvd. in Sorrento Valley.
Grivas’s career has taken her from San Diego’s D.Z. Akins Deli to kitchens in Las Vegas casinos. However, according to her niece and social media manager Jackie Ackeret, Grivas is not one to name-drop.
“She’s one of the most humble women I’ve ever known,” Ackeret told What Now San Diego. “She’s a really great local business owner. There’s never been a woman who was so dedicated to quality service. She’s highly sought after in the restaurant industry.”
Grivas is quick to thank supportive family members who have helped with her latest business venture. Her son, who happens to be a neuroscientist, helped to secure the space on Lusk Blvd. for Grivas’s restaurant.
“My son is very educated, and his job consumes a lot of his time,” Grivas told What Now San Diego. “He travels around a lot, but with the pandemic, he isn’t going to other countries like he had been before. Now, he’s able to be involved in getting me all set up here, and setting me up for success.”
The Deli Buzz will be located in an unassuming industrial park, where Grivas plans to draw clientele from local businesses and corporate offices. For their initial launch, however, The Deli Buzz will focus on building their presence on delivery apps.
Grivas has not set a grand opening date yet, but she hopes to open the deli’s doors next month.
