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- Paula Deen abruptly closes famous Georgia restaurant (cbsnews.com)
Savannah, GA – After nearly 30 years of serving up Southern comfort food, Paula Deen’s iconic Savannah restaurant, The Lady & Sons, has closed its doors. The sudden closure, announced Friday, also includes Deen’s second Savannah eatery, The Chicken Box.
The announcement, posted on Deen’s social media accounts, expressed gratitude to loyal customers but offered no explanation for the closures. “It is with heavy hearts and tremendous gratitude that we announce that we have retired and closed,” the sign on the restaurant’s papered-over windows read.
The news came as a shock to many, including Martin Rowe, who works across the street. “Nobody knew anything was wrong,” Rowe remarked, noting the restaurant always seemed busy.
The Lady & Sons, opened in 1996, became a Savannah staple, serving over 1,000 diners daily at its peak. Deen’s success story began humbly in 1989, starting a catering business called The Bag Lady before opening her first restaurant. The Food Network show “Paula’s Home Cooking,” which debuted in 2002, catapulted Deen to national fame.
While the Savannah locations are now closed, Deen assured fans that her four other restaurants, located in Tennessee, South Carolina, and Missouri, will remain open. She and her sons plan to continue visiting these locations regularly, with a trip to Branson, Missouri planned for August 8th.
Despite the closures, Deen affirmed, “Savannah will always be our home.” The closure marks the end of an era for the celebrity chef, whose career has spanned decades, marked by both immense success and controversy.
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- Paula Deen abruptly closes famous Georgia restaurant (cbsnews.com)