The Soul Food Queen Who Bet on Herself and Won | Melba Wilson - Melba’s Restaurant

Staying Hungry sits down with Melba Wilson—restaurateur, author, and owner of Melba’s in Harlem—for a masterclass in hospitality, resilience, and betting on yourself.Hosts Michael D’Onofrio and Vinny Pappalardo dive into Melba’s journey from learning to cook in her grandmother’s kitchen in South Carolina to building one of New York City’s most respected soul food brands. She shares how she went from side hustles and Sylvia’s to opening Melba’s in 2005—and why loyalty, consistency, and community matter more than marketing.This episode is packed for restaurant owners: scaling a business, surviving COVID-19, adapting to technology, managing razor-thin margins, and building a brand people trust. Melba also opens up about failure, growth, and why in hospitality, you’re only as good as your last meal.From soul food and Harlem culture to restaurant operations and entrepreneurship, this is a real, no-nonsense conversation about what it takes to win in the industry.Timestamps:00:00 The lease story that started it all01:40 Intro to Melba Wilson03:05 Childhood, family, and food roots10:20 Finding hospitality and Sylvia’s16:20 Opening Melba’s in Harlem24:10 Customer loyalty and experience31:10 COVID and business pivots37:20 Technology and scaling41:10 Failure and entrepreneurship53:20 Soul food and culture1:03:10 Cookbook and personal story1:23:30 Final advice: betting on yourself