Downtown Winston-Salem's Sweet Potatoes restaurant to close

Sweet Potatoes, a landmark downtown Winston-Salem restaurant, is closing after more than 20 years in business.

Stephanie Tyson and Vivian Joiner opened Sweet Potatoes in 2003. Tyson was the chef, while Joiner ran the front of the restaurant.

At the time, the arts district was not nearly the bustling place it is now, and the move was seen as risky. But it paid off. Sweet Potatoes is often seen as a key part of downtown’s revitalization.

In an interview with WFDD in May of 2024, Joiner said Trade Street gave them exactly what they were looking for.

“We wanted to open our own restaurant; we wanted to work for ourselves," she said. "And we wanted to be part of the community. We didn't want to be on a strip in a strip mall or something like that. We wanted to be in the neighborhood.”

The restaurant thrived. The owners estimate they’ve served more than two million customers, and the business has earned multiple accolades, including a Best Chef of the Southeast nomination for Tyson by the James Beard Foundation.

But it wasn’t just Southern cuisine that Sweet Potatoes brought to downtown. It was also social capital. As that area of Winston-Salem grew, Tyson and Joiner were part of a network of business owners who could count on each other when problems arose.

In a social media post late Thursday, Tyson and Joiner said the physical, mental and financial toll of the pandemic aftermath has been overwhelming. 

Although the restaurant is closing on February 1, Joiner will continue her work for the community. In November she was elected to the City Council.