In Memoriam

In Memoriam: Sylvia Woods of famed Sylvia’s Soul Food Restaurant in Harlem

Sylvia Woods, the founder of famed Sylvia’s Soul Food Restaurant in Harlem, has died. She was 86.

Published

13 years ago

July 19, 2012

Sylvia Woods of famed Sylvia's Soul Food Restaurant in Harlem, has died

From N.Y,C. ...as she stands lovely with a painting of her self looking on. copyright John Mathew Smith | https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Syvia_of_Sylvia%27s_reaturant_N.Y.C.jpg

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Sylvia Woods, the founder of famed Sylvia’s Soul Food Restaurant in Harlem, has died. She was 86.

New York DailyNews reports, “The Queen of Soul Food” died today leaving a legacy of good soul food cooking.

Sylvia was the founder and owner of the world famous Sylvia’s Soul Food Restaurant, located in the historical village of Harlem, since 1962.

Sylvia Woods was born on February 2, 1926 in Hemingway, South Carolina. After marrying her childhood friend Herbert Woods, the couple moved to New York where she went to work in a hat factory and later at a restaurant in Harlem called Johnson’s Luncheonette in 1954.

In 1962, Sylvia bought the restaurant, forever making it a landmark for good soul food cooking.

Organized and started by her son Van in 1992, Sylvia came out with her own line of soul food products that are sold nationally.

Woods products include many of her special sauces, vegetables, spices, syrup, and cornbread and pancake mixes.

She is survived by her four children, Van, Bedelia, Kenneth, and Crizette, who manage the family’s enterprise.

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Unheard Voices, an award-winning, family-operated online news magazine, began in 2004 as a community newsletter serving Neptune, Asbury Park, and Long Branch, N.J. Over time, it grew into a nationally recognized Black-owned media outlet. The publication remains one of the few dedicated to covering social justice issues. Its honors include the NAACP Unsung Hero Award and multiple media innovator awards for excellence in social justice reporting and communications.