Paula DeenS Family Kitchen in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, has closed its doors, marking the latest in a series of restaurant closures for the celebrity chef. the restaurant, located at The Island in Pigeon Forge, ceased operations without immediate clarification, though a sign on the door indicated they were “hiring” for all positions.
This closure follows a pattern of abrupt shutdowns for Deen’s establishments. In 2014, Uncle Bubba’s Seafood and Oyster House in Savannah, Georgia, which Deen co-owned with her brother Earl W.”Bubba” Hiers Jr., reportedly closed suddenly, leaving employees to find locked doors and removed appliances. A sign cited “10 great years” as the reason for its closure.
More recently, the Panama City, Florida, location of Paula Deen‘s Family Kitchen also closed abruptly in 2019, resulting in the layoff of 30 employees without advance notice. Former employees spoke to local news channel WJHG, expressing distress over the sudden loss of their primary income source.
The closure of Uncle Bubba’s occurred a year after controversy engulfed Deen. A former manager at the restaurant filed a lawsuit against Hiers, alleging sexual and racial discrimination. This controversy escalated when the Food Network canceled “Paula’s Home Cooking” after Deen admitted to using a racial slur during a deposition for a 2013 lawsuit. When questioned by lawyers about using the N-word, Deen responded affirmatively, stating it had been “a very long time.”
As these events, the 78-year-old chef has primarily focused on her restaurant ventures. Her flagship establishment, The Lady and Sons, was born from significant personal struggles and ambition.Following the deaths of both parents in her early twenties, Deen, then a young mother, battled depression and agoraphobia. With only $200, she launched a catering company from her home kitchen called the Bag Lady. Her son’s delivery of her homemade bag lunches garnered her a local following for her homestyle cooking. After an initial restaurant attempt, “the Lady,” in 1991, her subsequent venture, The Lady and Sons, co-owned with her sons Jamie and Bobby, became her defining success.
