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

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. 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.