Overview

• On July 31, Paula Deen and her sons ended service at The Lady & Sons and The Chicken Box in Savannah.
• Their announcement on the family’s website and social media accounts did not explain why the two restaurants had closed.
• The Lady & Sons, opened in 1996, had become a Savannah landmark that helped launch Deen’s Food Network career and drew steady lines for its Southern buffet.
• The Deen family said they will now concentrate their efforts on four remaining Paula Deen’s Family Kitchen outlets in Pigeon Forge, Nashville, Myrtle Beach and Branson.
• Local patrons and employees reported learning of the shutdowns only on the morning of August 1, underscoring how unexpected the closures were.