Sidney Poitier Once Owned a Rib Joint in Harlem—Here’s What Happened

Sidney Poitier and “Ribs in the Ruff”

In the early 1950s, before Sidney Poitier became an internationally acclaimed actor and civil rights icon, he co-owned a small barbecue restaurant in Harlem. The restaurant, Ribs in the Ruff, was a joint venture with friend and business partner Johnny Newton. While it’s a lesser-known chapter of Poitier’s life, it reflects the kind of grassroots Black entrepreneurship that defined Harlem’s postwar working-class economy.

An ambitious opening in Harlem

Ribs in the Ruff opened on December 19, 1952, at 2147 Seventh Avenue in Harlem. The business was publicly promoted in the New York Amsterdam News, where an ad read: “For those who demand fine taste in food and atmosphere—Sidney Poitier and Johnny Newton present: Ribs in the Ruff” (New York Amsterdam News, Dec. 13, 1952). This was not a private or hobbyist endeavor—Poitier’s name was prominently tied to the restaurant’s branding from day one.

A DIY approach to business

The restaurant was modest in size and budget, but high in effort. In interviews and memoirs, Poitier recalled that he and Newton borrowed $200 from friends, leased the space, and handled most of the construction themselves. They collected lumber, pipes, and leftover materials from local demolition and construction sites. To paint the walls, they scrounged half-used cans from job sites. To pour the cement floor, they hauled sand from a public beach (Poitier, This Life).

Inside, the restaurant accommodated about 30 guests. Meals were affordable, with full plates—ribs, coleslaw, and potato salad—selling for just 80 cents. Poitier later wrote that he and Newton cooked the food, served customers, bussed tables, and scrubbed the floors each night. The labor was exhausting, but the quality of the food kept regulars coming back.

Expansion and decline

Encouraged by the response to their Harlem location, the pair expanded. They opened two additional rib spots and later launched a larger full-scale restaurant, though none proved financially successful. One burned down, and others couldn’t keep up with costs. Poitier and Newton eventually agreed to split their operations: Newton took a location in Queens (The Encore), and Poitier kept the original Ribs in the Ruff.

Running the restaurant solo proved unsustainable. Poitier lacked Newton’s managerial experience and was increasingly being called away for acting work. In Guideposts, he recalled working an entire day alone—cooking, serving, cleaning—only to make $1.50 in sales. That night, he turned off the gas, electricity, and water, walked out, and never returned. He later sold the business for $1,200, enough to cover its remaining debts (Guideposts, “Honoring My Parents”).

Legacy and cultural context

Though short-lived, Ribs in the Ruff is more than a footnote. It represents a time when Black entertainers often had to juggle multiple roles to survive, especially in an industry that offered few consistent opportunities. The restaurant wasn’t just a financial lifeline—it was a product of Harlem hustle, Black ingenuity, and postwar ambition.

For Poitier, the end of Ribs in the Ruff marked a turning point. He committed fully to acting, never returning to the restaurant business. But his early efforts in Harlem speak volumes about the economic resilience of Black creatives during that era—and the risks they took just to make a way.

Sources:

• New York Amsterdam News, December 13, 1952.
• Sidney Poitier, This Life. New York: Knopf, 1980.
• Guideposts Magazine, “Honoring My Parents.” Republished at guideposts.org.
• Aram Goudsouzian, Sidney Poitier: Man, Actor, Icon. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2004.