Paula Deen Shuts Savannah Restaurants After 36 Years

Celebrity chef Paula Deen and her sons, Jamie and Bobby, have permanently closed their iconic Savannah, Georgia, restaurants, The Lady & Sons and The Chicken Box, effective July 31. The closure ends a 36-year era for The Lady & Sons, which was instrumental in Deen's rise to fame and was celebrated for its Southern cuisine. Though no reason was provided for the closures, the Deen family expressed deep gratitude to loyal customers and staff and affirmed their ongoing ties to Savannah. The family will now focus on their four remaining Paula Deen’s Family Kitchen locations in Pigeon Forge, Myrtle Beach, Nashville, and Branson. Deen's restaurant empire began in Savannah in 1989 and expanded rapidly following her Food Network debut in 2002, despite a high-profile scandal in 2013 that led to her departure from the channel. The closures mark the end of an era for Deen’s original restaurants as her other ventures continue.