Sylvia Woods

Sylvia Woods (February 2 1926) opened the world famous African American restaurant Sylvia's in Harlem on Lenox Avenue, New York, NY.

She was born to her parents Julia and Van Pressley in Hemingway, South Carolina. Woods's father Van Pressley had died 3 days after she was born from injuries when fighting in World War I. Her mother had moved to New York when she was only three so she could better provide for her family, which left her grandmother to raise her. Woods met her future husband in a bean field when she was 11 years old. Woods got married to her husband Herbert Woods in 1944; they had 4 children together Van, Bedelia, Kenneth, and Crizette Woods. Woods graduated form High School in her hometown Hemingway, South Carolina. Woods trained to become a beautician in New York and also ran a beauty shop in South Carolina. Woods had also worked in a hat factory, as a waitress, and worked at a restaurant called Johnson’s Luncheonette in Harlem form 1954-1962.

Woods then bought her own restaurant in 1962; the restaurant could seat up to 35 people. During the early 1990’s the business expanded and now seats up to 450 people and also has a catering business. 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. Woods has 2 famous cook books one is called "Sylvia’s Soul Food Cookbook" which was published in 1992, and "Sylvia’s Family Soul Food Cookbook" which was published in 1999 both by William Morrow and Company. Woods opened her second restaurant on Central Ave in Atlanta, Georgia in 1997.

References

*Alkalimat, Abdul (2004). The African American Experience in Cyberspace. Pluto Press.
*Sylvia Woods. [Online] Available http://www.answers.com/topic/sylvia-woods
*Sylvia Woods. [Online] Available http://www.harpercollins.com/authors/19104/Sylvia_Woods/index.aspx
*Sylvia's. [Online] Available http://www.sylviassoulfood.com/about.html