SAVANNAH, Ga. — Celebrity chef Paula Deen is closing down two of her restaurants in Savannah’s historic district.
The former Food Network star, 78, along with her two sons, Jamie and Bobby, announced on social media that The Lady & Sons on West Congress and The Chicken Box on West Saint Julian Street were closed.
“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 wrote. “We have endless love and gratitude for every customer who has walked through our doors.”
The Lady & Sons closed after nearly 36 years of service in Georgia. The restaurant propelled Deen to fame and a show on the Food Network, “Paula’s Home Cooking.” The show was canceled in 2013 amid a racism scandal.
Still, people visiting Savannah continued to line up for Deen’s buffet.
Deen said her family will now focus on Paula Deen’s Family Kitchen restaurants, which have locations in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee; Nashville, Tennessee; Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; and Branson, Missouri.
Deen said she and her sons look forward to personally visiting those restaurants, beginning with a trip to Branson on Aug. 8.
The Lady & Sons officially opened its doors in January 1996. The restaurant moved to its current location in November 2003.
The Chicken Box opened in 2023.
Deen returned to television on “Dancing With the Stars,” on chef Gordon Ramsay’s show “MasterChef: Legends,” and “At Home With Paula Deen” in 2020.
She also posts cooking videos on a YouTube channel that has more than 582,000 subscribers.