18 NOVEMBER 2025 I t’s been said that the way to a man’s heart is through their stomach – which is just another way of saying people can easily be enticed by a great meal. For Josh and Desiree Garcia, the formula worked in reverse. In 2005, Desiree and her mother discovered the legendary Miracle Mile Deli. After enjoying one of Miracle Mile’s New York-style sandwiches, they were hooked. They began meeting for lunch weekly and that regularity made them known to the staff – and in particular, one agog busboy. “I wasn’t looking but she was hard to miss. She just kept coming in and I kept finding opportunities to see her,” Garcia confesses. They began dating and were married two years later. His grandfather, Jack Grodzinsky, opened the first Miracle Mile on McDowell Road in 1949, and Garcia began working in their Chris-Town restaurant when he was just 11. He used a milk crate to stand on so he could see over the counter. “I literally grew up in the restaurant, did my homework on a pickle bucket, and then started working; first serving coffee on Saturday mornings and eventually learning everything else,” Garcia said. Twenty years later, he is vice president and oversees all aspects of daily operations, having taken the leadership baton from his parents, Jill and George. “Our entire staff is like family and several of our team members have been with us for over 20 years. Naturally, it’s just as important that our customers feel like family, too,” Garcia said. Quality food, consistency in presentation, and good service has translated to Miracle Mile’s success. It’s assuredly working because the iconic establishment is celebrating 76 years in business. The restaurant has served over 10 million meals and sells 4,000 pounds of pastrami every month. The Straw Sandwich: hot pastrami, melted Swiss and hot sauerkraut, is their best- selling item. Asked about the chaotic nature of the business and Garcia laughs. “The restaurant is calm compared to my house. We have two kids, three dogs, two birds and a 110-pound pig named Gordon. We call it the zoo and there’s not a lot of quiet moments in our home. It’s a real hoot.” The 43-year-old Phoenix native attended Central High School and the University of Redlands. While abroad in London in 2002, he was fortunate to intern at the All England Club and then returned for two more summers of full-time work at the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum. “It was a dream job,” he said. The Garcias and their children, Sophie (16) and Jack (13), are recent residents of Arcadia but have fallen in love with the neighborhood. “After just two years, it’s easy to see why it captures the heart of families. Arcadia is the perfect blend of charm and community warmth which we are grateful to be a part of,” Garcia said. Asked where their family goes to eat out and he names all local favorites. “It’s important to patronize those families and owners who are a part of our community,” he said. For Josh Garcia, a restaurant is more than just a place to eat. It is where you can connect with people and touch their lives. It’s also, apparently, a place where you can fall in love. Josh Garcia It is important that our customers feel like family, too.