Sylfoni’s Pizza, a Russellville icon for almost half a century, is being moved by current owner Karen Rainwaters from the backside of Bethel Shopping Center to the Logan Place shopping center. The LoJo asked Brenda Sisk Senseney, whose family began the business, to write a Guest Article about her reflections on Sylfoni’s. The Clarksville resident not only agreed to do so, but even explains her role in creating the name in the following article.
Back in the 60's, my Dad and Mom, S.L. and Fannie Sisk, had a shoe repair shop located in the old Kaintuck Hotel building on West Fourth Street. They later moved to the Bethel Shopping Center.
In 1966, Dad had a second shop in Bowling Green close to the WKU campus where he noticed large numbers of students patronizing the pizza parlor close to his shop. He thought Russellville could use a pizza parlor. After some research and many nights of Mom trying out various spaghetti sauce recipes, they decided to take a leap of faith, (and some savings), and open Russellville's first pizza place.
Mom approached Marvin Stuart about possibly locating it in the Bethel Shopping Center. Mr. Marvin went one better and built exactly what Mom asked for at the far end of the shopping center. His one stipulation was that Mom would fix him eggs when he dropped by because he couldn't eat pizza or spaghetti sauce.
After construction, buying equipment and everything else that has to be done to start a new business, we needed a name. Bethel Pizza House or Panther Pizza Parlor didn't sound right. I suggested we needed an Italian name. Daddy reminded me that we were Scots-Irish with no Italian branch in the tree. I thought using parts of both their names, Sylvester and Fannie, sounded Italian and Sylfoni's Pizza was born in 1967, my senior year at RHS.
We built it but would they come? They came in droves. Opening night I was cruising with my friends and dropped in to see how things were going...big mistake. I ended up washing dishes and taking orders until after midnight. By the way, Mom made eggs for Mr. Marvin many times. I think he liked the conversation as much as the eggs.
Mom retired in 1974 and my sister and brother-in-law, Wanda and Vernie Harrison, ran the business for a while before selling it. I stopped in at Sylfoni's last year and was given a bag and cup commemorating 45 years in business.
Mom and Dad would be proud.