NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — New York City restaurant royalty Melba Wilson joined anchor Larry Mullins to discuss her acclaimed eatery Melba’s Restaurant, a staple in Harlem for over 20 years, and her mission of reinvesting in the community she grew up in.
Wilson likes to say that she was “born, bred and buttered” in Harlem. So it only made sense to the James Beard-nominated chef to take her lifetime of cooking experience—which she first developed in South Carolina with her grandmother, then at NYC restaurants like Sylvia’s, Rosa Mexicano and Windows on the World—and pour it back to the community that raised her.
When she opened Melba’s Restaurant at 114th Street and Frederick Douglass Boulevard in 2005, Wilson said that there were no sit-down restaurants between 110th Street and 120th Street. She chose the location, often ridden with drugs and the impact of economic neglect, as her way to provide for the area.
“I decided to invest in a community that has invested so much in me, and that’s Harlem,” Wilson said. She had been saving money under her mattress for years, and took the step after realizing she had managed to stow away $312,000.
“When we have people that invest in true economic empowerment, that’s the only way that we, as a people, are going to make a difference. And that’s the only way that we’re going to create generational wealth,” Wilson told Mullins. “We’ve got to be intentional about investing in our community, and investing in our people, and that’s what I did in 2004.”
In lieu of spending advertising dollars to promote her businesses, Wilson said that she likes to use that money to reinvest in Harlem. Her philanthropy has extended to a variety of causes, including God’s Love We Deliver, NYC Tourism & Conventions and Harlem Village Academies.
If people have a good experience at Melba’s—eating dishes like the signature fried chicken and eggnog waffles, or her oxtails, which Wilson said are the “sleeper” on her menu—then they will spread the word.
And spread the word they have. The Melba’s brand has exploded since 2005, adding Melba’s Central Park, Melba’s at The Prudential Center and Melba’s Catering, all of which were received with accolades. Melba’s 550 and Melba’s Central Park are also coming this year.
“You never do it for the awards,” Wilson said. “The glory comes in knowing you’re doing the right thing. I can never repay Harlem for what it’s given me.”