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**FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE**

**Paula Deen Shuts Down Savannah Restaurants, The Lady & Sons and The Chicken Box**

Savannah, GA – In a surprise announcement, celebrity chef Paula Deen has closed the doors of her flagship Savannah restaurant, The Lady & Sons, along with her newer eatery, The Chicken Box. The closures, effective July 31st, mark the end of an era for the Southern cuisine icon in her home city.

Deen, who rose to fame on the Food Network before a 2013 racism scandal led to the cancellation of her shows, made the announcement via social media. “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 stated, thanking customers for their “loyalty over the past 36 years.”

The Lady & Sons has been a Savannah institution for decades, attracting tourists and locals alike with its family-style Southern comfort food. The Chicken Box opened in 2023.

The closure of the Savannah locations will allow Deen and her sons, Jamie and Bobby Deen, to focus on their remaining Paula Deen’s Family Kitchen restaurants in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee; Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; Nashville, Tennessee; and Branson, Missouri.

“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,” the Deen family said in a joint statement, promising to remain active in the Savannah community.

Deen’s career experienced a setback in 2013 after she admitted to using racial slurs in a deposition related to a lawsuit filed by a former employee of her brother’s restaurant, Uncle Bubba’s Seafood and Oyster House, which subsequently closed in 2014. Despite the controversy, Deen maintained a significant fanbase and remained active in the entertainment industry, appearing on “Dancing with the Stars” and “Masterchef: Legends.”

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