The culinary world is abuzz with the news that Paula Deen, the celebrated queen of Southern cuisine, has made the “heartfelt decision” to permanently close The Lady & Sons, her iconic Savannah restaurant that served as the very foundation of her sprawling food empire. This unexpected closure also includes her newer venture, The Chicken Box, marking a significant shift in Deen’s long-standing presence in the restaurant industry.
The Lady & Sons, which first opened its doors in downtown Savannah in 1996, quickly transcended its humble beginnings as a family-operated eatery. It rocketed to national prominence following a glowing review from USA Today in the late 1990s, an event that single-handedly catapulted Paula Deen from local restaurateur to a household name and a star on the Food Network.
The restaurant’s enduring appeal was rooted in its homestyle Southern menu, a delectable array of local classics. Signature dishes such as crispy fried green tomatoes, comforting banana pudding, and savory hoecakes were staples, but it was undoubtedly the Southern fried chicken that became its hallmark, drawing queues that wrapped around the block and cementing the restaurant’s reputation as the epitome of indulgent, buttery Southern flavors.
Deen herself shared the news of The Lady & Sons’ closure via her official website and social media platforms, specifying that July 31st was the final day of service. She stated that the focus of her and her sons, Jamie and Bobby, would now exclusively shift to the four existing Paula Deen’s Family Kitchen locations scattered across the country, indicating a consolidation of her brand’s physical footprint.
The announcement came as a surprise to many, particularly given the restaurant’s continued popularity among tourists and its seemingly active operations. Just three weeks prior to the closure declaration, The Lady & Sons had even posted on Instagram, actively seeking applications for various positions, further highlighting the abrupt nature of this significant decision.
This is not the first instance of sudden closures within Deen’s restaurant portfolio. A notable example occurred in 2014 when Uncle Bubba’s Seafood and Oyster House, co-owned with her brother Earl W. “Bubba” Hiers Jr., abruptly ceased operations, with employees arriving to find locked doors and removed appliances. Similarly, a Paula Deen’s Family Kitchen in Panama City, Florida, also closed without advance notice in 2019, leading to the layoff of 30 employees.
The closure of Uncle Bubba’s in 2014 closely followed a period of intense scrutiny and controversy surrounding Deen. A former manager at the restaurant had filed a lawsuit against Hiers, alleging discriminatory practices, which cast a shadow over Deen’s public image and business ventures, impacting her brand and various partnerships.
Deen’s journey to culinary stardom began with humble origins, long before her television fame. She initially founded “The Bag Lady,” a catering company operated directly out of her home kitchen. Her handmade bag lunches, personally delivered by her sons Jamie and Bobby, quickly garnered her a local reputation for authentic homestyle cooking, laying the groundwork for her eventual restaurant success.
After an initial attempt with a restaurant named The Lady in 1991, it was the subsequent establishment, The Lady & Sons, co-owned with her sons, that truly cemented her legacy. This restaurant not only became a culinary destination but also the springboard for a multi-faceted career that included cookbooks, television shows, and a formidable brand synonymous with Southern comfort food.
