Three years after the sudden closing of Uncle Bubba's Seafood & Oyster House , celebrity Southern chef Paula Deen plans to open a new restaurant at the site.
Paula Deen's Creek House, an enterprise she'll run with her sons Jamie and Bobby, judging from the new spot's official photo (see below) will serve "traditional seafood dishes and southern favorites including chargrilled oysters, shrimp 'n grits and mouthwatering steaks" according to its Facebook page.
Deen has been keeping diners updated via her main Facebook page. A recent update shared photos of renovation in progress: "Progress y'all! Things are coming right along here at Paula Deen's Creek House! We can't wait to see the finished restaurant in June!"
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Uncle Bubba's, operated by Deen's brother Bubba Hiers, closed after controversy stoked by legal action brought by former employee there. The lawsuit was ultimately was dismissed but not before a public relations storm engulfed Deen when she acknowledged in a deposition that she had used a racial slur in decades past. She lost a slew of endorsements and the Food Network canceled her show.
The maelstrom didn't keep Deen down for long, though. Even as Uncle Bubba's sudden closing was announced, Deen announced Najafi Companies was investing $75 million to $100 million in her brand and that as part of the deal, she was launching an umbrella company, Paula Deen Ventures, to oversee her restaurants, cookbooks and product endorsements.
She received a warm welcome at the South Beach Wine and Food Festival at the time, with fans shouting, “We want you back, Paula!” She thanked the roaring crowd for the support and hollered, “I’m back in the saddle!”
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