Paula Deen's Family Kitchen restaurant will be opening a location at the Bass Pro Shops location in the Rim.
Deen herself will also be in San Antonio to visit the restaurant on June 1 and June 2.
While this would come as excellent news for those who love Deen's classic southern cuisine, patrons of the store's pioneer restaurant, Islamorado Fish Company, might not be as pumped.
The trademark restaurant of the outdoor product giant is closing its doors to make room for the butter-rich cookery of Deen.
Paula Deen’s Family Kitchen opens Monday and marks the first of its kind to open at any Bass Pro Shop in the entire nation.
“This is a fantastic opportunity for our customers to enjoy the warmth and hospitality created by Paula Deen while adding to the Bass Pro Shops experience in San Antonio,” said Jesse Pompa, General Manager of Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World – San Antonio. “Paula Deen’s team delivers quality food, service, and ambience at a great value and we’re excited to share that with our customers.”
The restaurant will be similar to Deen's famous Lady & Sons located in Savannah, Ga., although 'Family Kitchen' locations are owned by different restaurant operators.
The restaurant will be accompanied by a retail boutique featuring items hand-selected by Paula Deen she says reflect Savannah’s rich cultural heritage and her gracious tastes. Many of her favorite products will only be found in the Family Kitchen retail boutiques.
Although opening another restaurant would appear to be a stroke in the right direction for Deen, many critics thought she would not be able to make a comeback after the celeb chef made the admission she used the 'n-word' in court depositions involving a lawsuit filed by one her restaurant managers charging discrimination.
The lawsuit brought on by a former manager of one of Deen's restaurant alleged sexual harassment and a work environment rife with racial slurs. When asked if she had ever used the n-word, Deen replied, "Yes, of course." But, she added, "It's been a very long time."
Deen was fired from The Food Network promptly following the incident. Numerous experts predicted her career and money-making potential would be either non-existent or changed greatly after the incident.