Former Food Network star Paula Deen is closing two of her restaurants in Savannah, Georgia.
Deen – who rose to fame with her Southern Charm and down-home cooking – was axed from the cooking channel amid a racism scandal in 2013 but kept her restaurant The Lady and Sons open.
Now, more a decade later, she posted an abrupt note Aug. 1 on the Southern style eatery's social media pages announcing a closure (along with her shop The Chicken Box, which opened in 2023).
"Hey, y'all, my sons and I made the heartfelt decision that Thursday, July 31st, was the last day of service for The Lady & Sons and The Chicken Box," Deen said in a statement.
"Thank you for all the great memories and for your loyalty over the past 36 years," she continued. The family matriarch owned and operated the restaurants with her sons, Jamie and Bobby Deen.
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The family said they will instead focus on their four remaining Paula Deen's Family Kitchen locations in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee; Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; Nashville, Tennessee; and Branson, Missouri, which they will visit Aug. 8.
In a note signed "love & best dishes" by the trio, Deen added that "we have endless love and gratitude for every customer who has walked through our doors" and "we are equally grateful to our incredible staff—past and present—whose hard work, care, and hospitality made (the businesses)" what they were.
"Savannah will always be our home, and we'll always be here to support our wonderful community," she said in the lengthy statement.
The Food Network began airing "Paula's Home Cooking" in 2002 and added "Paula's Best Dishes" in 2008 among other programs later on. Deen catapulted to legendary Southern cooking status with the success of her Food Network shows, Georgia restaurants and a slew of cookbooks, homeware and endorsement deals.
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But in June 2013, the celebrity chef became embroiled in a scandal after news broke that Deen admitted in a deposition – that was part of a lawsuit – that she had used racial epithets in the past and tolerated racial jokes in the workplace. In turn, the network announced that it would not renew her contract (effectively canceling her shows).
The lawsuit was brought against Deen and her brother, Bubba Hiers, by Lisa Jackson, a former manager of the siblings' restaurant, Uncle Bubba's Seafood and Oyster House in Savannah, Georgia. The lawsuit alleged sexual harassment and a work environment rife with racial slurs. Uncle Bubba's closed in 2014.
Still, her career survived. She kept the doors to her own restaurant open, and Deen boasts a healthy social media following (over 5 million followers on Facebook and Instagram). She competed on Season 21 of "Dancing with the Stars" in 2015 and in a surprise to some, appeared as a guest judge on Fox's "Masterchef: Legends" in 2021.
Contributing: Lorena Blas and Cindy Clark
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Paula Deen restaurant The Lady and Sons abruptly closes
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