A chapter in the history of one of Paula Deen’s most recognizable restaurants has come to an end with the closure of two of her Savannah, Georgia-based eateries.
After a highly publicized racism scandal, Deen, who became nationally famous for her distinctive Southern cooking and captivating on-screen persona, was fired from the Food Network in 2013. She kept running her cherished restaurant, The Lady and Sons, in spite of the criticism.
Over ten years later, Deen shocked followers on social media on August 1st by announcing that The Lady and Sons and her more recent business, The Chicken Box (which debuted in 2023), had permanently closed.
Deen wrote in a statement, “Hey everyone, my sons and I have decided with great sadness that Thursday, July 31st, will be the last day of service for The Lady & Sons and The Chicken Box.”
Over the past 36 years, I appreciate your commitment and all of the wonderful memories. She co-owned the eateries with her sons, Bobby and Jamie Deen.
In the future, the family intends to focus on their other Paula Deen’s Family Kitchen locations, which they are slated to visit on August 8 in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee; Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; Nashville, Tennessee; and Branson, Missouri.
“We have endless love and gratitude for every customer who has walked through our doors,” Deen stated, concluding the announcement with the best foods and love. We also want to express our gratitude to our amazing employees, both past and present, whose dedication, concern, and hospitality helped to make (the enterprises) what they are today.
With a nod to the city that helped her rise, she concluded the message by saying, “Savannah will always be our home, and we’ll always be here to support our wonderful community.”
Paula’s Home Cooking on the Food Network launched Deen’s television career in 2002. Paula’s Best Dishes followed in 2008, along with a number of additional programs. Best-selling cookbooks, a line of home goods, and national endorsements helped her brand grow quickly and solidify her position in the Southern culinary community.
However, in June 2013, Deen came under fire from the public after acknowledging in a deposition as part of a lawsuit that she had previously used racial epithets and put up with racist jokes at work. The celebrity chef’s relationship with the Food Network was essentially severed when they decided not to extend her contract.
Lisa Jackson, a former manager of Uncle Bubba’s Seafood and Oyster House, which Deen and her brother Bubba Hiers co-own, filed the claim, alleging sexual harassment and racial discrimination.In 2014, Uncle Bubba closed.
Deen continued to be active in the public eye in spite of the issue. She still had a sizable social media following, with over 5 million Facebook and Instagram fans. She participated in Season 21 of Dancing with the Stars in 2015, and in 2021, she was a guest judge on MasterChef: Legends.
