Paula Deen – once hailed as the Queen of Southern Cuisine – is at is again… Word is, she closed down her Savannah, GA, seafood restaurant, Uncle Bubba’s, last week with no reason given patrons and no notice to her employees. However… There’s lots of juicy gossip going around as to the details…
Uncle Bubba, hisself, in happier days…
Now, Uncle Bubba’s Oyster House was basically owned by Deen, who created it to set up her Brother, Earl W. ‘Bubba’ Heirs, in the restaurant business. In fact, it was a former employee of Uncle Bubba’s who filed a lawsuit against Deen claiming she used the ‘N’ word to the staff. Thanks to a recent SavannanhNow.com post, we now know some of the gory details behind that scandal – the trigger for Deen’s dramatic fall from grace with sponsors and product partners over the summer of 2013.
The SavannahNow story goes on to suggest that, besides being a reminder of an embarrassing time in Paula’s life, Bubba’s was also a focus of controversy on its own, citing stories over the past ten years alleging that Bubba, himself, was ‘behaving badly’ – which he eventually admitted:
In Hiers’ deposition in 2013 he testified that he frequently viewed pornography on company-owned [computers] at work and had a history of cocaine use and alcohol abuse. He admitted taking money from the restaurant in 2010 — allegedly as much as $25,000 to $30,000 a month, a practice Deen eventually discovered.
Whooo! That’s some admission… You couldn’t blame Paula for wanting to put not only the restaurant firmly in the past, but her brother, to boot!
Deen, whose business empire (or what’s left of it) is now managed by an investment firm called Najafi Cos. under the umbrella of Paula Deen Ventures, which will encompass all her partnerships and brands. The first positive move under Najafi Cos. management will reportedly be the launch of a new 20,000 sq. ft. Paula-themed restaurant and retail store in Pigeon Forge, TN, just down the road from the Dollywood theme park.
And don’t cry for Paula over the loss of Uncle Bubba’s. Word is, the ocean-side 2.5-acre lot is worth at least $2 million. And she’s said to be looking at redevelopment opportunities’ for the site…
Meanwhile… The weird and wonderful Paula Deen Saga continues to unfold…
~ Maggie J.