Paula Deen Announces 'Heartfelt Decision' to Abruptly Close 2 Restaurants

Paula Deen has shared her decision to abruptly close two of her most well-known restaurants.

“Hey, ya’ll, 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, 78, wrote via her restaurant The Lady & Son’s official Facebook page.

“Thank you all for the great memories and for your loyalty over the past 36 years,” the announcement continued. “We have endless love and gratitude for every customer who has walked through the doors. We are equally grateful to our incredible staff – past and present — whose hard work, care, and hospitality made The Lady & Sons what it was.”

The former Food Network staple went on to clarify that “Savannah will always be our home,” adding that “we’ll always be here to support our wonderful community.”

“We will now focus our attention on the four Paula Deen’s Family Kitchen locations across the country — in Pigeon Forge, Myrtle Beach, Nashville, and Branson,” the post concluded. “We’re excited to continue visiting these restaurants regularly, starting with Branson on August 8th.”

The restaurateur then shared contact information for anyone who had future reservations at the two restaurants that are now closed. The statement was signed by Deen and her sons, Jamie and Bobby.

Deen has been enjoying a quieter life since hosting various Food Networks shows and after a 2013 scandal, in which the chef admitted to using racial slurs during a taped deposition. At the time, Deen was accused by an ex-employee of racial discrimination. Both parties eventually agreed to drop the legal dispute “without any award of costs or fees to any party.”

“I had to remove myself and sit quietly so that I could think and see things from all angles,” Deen said during a 2014 appearance on Today of the incident. “Words are so powerful. They can hurt, they can make people happy — well, my words hurt people. They disappointed people. Frankly, I disappointed myself. For that, I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry for the hurt that I caused people because it went deep. It went deep. People lost their jobs, it went deep into corporate America. I’m here to make people happy, not to bring sadness.”

Since then, Deen has slowly returned to the spotlight via her YouTube channel, which to date has amassed 518,000 subscribers.

She has also remained close to her two sons and her husband of more than two decades, Michael Groover.

“Happy 21st anniversary to the man that always puts a smile on my face!” she wrote via Instagram in March 2025. “I always thought our wedding would be the happiest day of my life, but each day with you gets better and better.”