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Park Vue Soul Food: A Restaurant for the Community

Buffalo’s East side is home to some of the city’s most hidden gems, including shops, bars, and restaurants. But one restaurant that is not-so-hidden any longer is Park Vue Soul Food, owned by mother-daughter duo Harrita West and Schenita Williams. Serving up classic soul food dishes to the community Thursdays through Sundays, Park Vue didn’t always have their phones ringing non-stop. 

West, who worked in banking for 28 years, as well as her mother Williams, who is a teacher and has been for 47 years, said that the taking off point for their restaurant was when the popular Food Network television show “Restaurant: Impossible” came in to do a total makeover in 2020. West described the shift as an “early retirement” since she wasn’t able to keep up with the amount of traffic at the restaurant. 

But it wasn’t always an easy path, and owning and operating a restaurant comes with its difficulties. When West discovered the building in 1997, which sits on Crossman Street in the middle of a residential neighborhood, it was owned by the Sharpe family. “I asked if I could take a look and I walked back to the dining area. I came back to the front of the restaurant and I stood there and said to myself, ‘Lord I have got to have this building,’” West said of the experience. 

Twenty years later, the building went on the auction list, and she knew it was her time to open the restaurant. Williams and her stepfather went in on the purchase with her, with West saying, “I told my step dad, ‘I want my restaurant’ and he said ‘Let’s do it.’” By 2017, it was theirs. 

The building needed significant work, and for two years, their family worked hard on making sure what they were opening was ready for the public. On April 19, 2019, Park Vue Soul Food officially opened for business, at the foot of Schiller Park. 

After years of hard work, West and Williams were able to create something that has since become a staple to the community. Their menu, which is a collaboration of her and her mother’s recipes, is strictly dinner, though they are hoping to expand to breakfast and lunch options in the future. Meals consist of classic soul food like fried ribs, fried haddock, yams, potato salad, mac and cheese, and collard greens. 

West has since taken over all cooking, since her mother is still a teacher and they want their food to be consistent. “We want people to come in and have the same experience every single time,” she said, adding that she’ll spend hours making trays upon trays of mac and cheese, and peeling pounds of yams. She noted that being business partners with her mother wasn’t always easy at times, but now they have their set roles and it all flows well. She has learned a lot of her cooking tips and tricks from her mother, who comes from a large family and often cooked for everyone for special occasions and holidays. That tradition passed down to Harrita, when it became a habit for her to cook a huge meal every Sunday for family and friends. She even started selling dinners out of her yard for the community on top of her full-time job as a banker. 

It’s an awesome feeling being able to see people have the desire for your food,” she said, adding that she always knew the building would one day be theirs— that they were meant to have it. Now, she is so grateful looking back at it all: “It’s a good feeling, knowing we are there serving the community.

Harrita West, Co-Owner, Park Vue Soul Food

And the support from the community doesn’t go unnoticed, as West talked about ways in which they’ve given back. Despite having limited hours and limited staff, they were able to donate meals to senior citizens on Thanksgiving as well as give jobs to high school students in the area. 

“We are teaching these young kids how to make an honest living,” West said. “So many of our young children have gotten caught up in generational curses, to where [we are] a great benefit to them. It’s also rewarding to us since we are giving these kids knowledge and giving people the chance.”

Owning a restaurant is widely considered one of the most difficult businesses to enter into, and although West and Williams haven’t done it without some trials and trip-ups, they have managed to create a restaurant with food and an atmosphere that is beloved by the community. When asked about the long hours and hard work, all West had to say was, “It’s not working. It’s all about fun… going to the restaurant is pure joy.” 

Park Vue Soul Food is located at 34 S Crossman Street in Buffalo, and is open Thursday through Saturday from 3 to 9 p.m and Sundays 2 to 7 p.m.

See menu
(716) 262-0384
parkvuerestaurant@gmail.com

The post Park Vue Soul Food: A Restaurant for the Community appeared first on Buffalo Rising.

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