Paula Deen’s Family Kitchen now open at OWA

Paula Deen’s Family Kitchen now open at OWA
More than 500 turn out to see celebrity chef in person
The newest Paula Deen’s Family Kitchen is open for business at OWA in Foley. More than 500 people gathered to get a glimpse of the celebrity chef and best-selling author hours before the doors opened at the 8,000 square foot restaurant.
The restaurant will be modeled after Deen’s previous locations with seating for 290 guests. Deen’s much-loved southern menu items will include chicken and dumplings, fried chicken, old-fashioned southern meatloaf, mac and cheese, candied yams, and Ooey Gooey Butter Cake. The restaurant, which will employ 150, will also include a gift shop and is open for lunch and dinner.
“We have seen such great success with our original Family Kitchen in the Smoky Mountains,” said the television personality and restaurateur. “My Grandma taught me how to make the most incredible southern dishes, and now I get to bring them to my friends in Foley.”
OWA is a 520-acre entertainment destination in Foley owned and operated by The Poarch Band of Creek Indians. VisitOWA.com or PaulaDeensFamilyKitchen.com for more info.
Kristin Hellmich, OWA’s Director of Marketing/PR, said that the huge turnout for the grand opening was no surprise, as the restaurant has build its brand on southern hospitality and family fun.
“People were there to welcome Paula with open arms. It’s obvious that people want the Paula Deen brand, just like Walhburgers is a brand that people want to hear,’’ she said.
Paula Deen’s Family Kitchen website also lists locations in Branson, Missouri; Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; and Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, site of the first franchise location in 2014. Another franchise is expected to open in Nashville.
Paula Deen licensing partner Phoenix Hospitality closed Destin and Panama City Beach restaurants in Florida and two franchises in Texas in the last two years, according to an Associated Press report.
Deen took her first shot at running a restaurant in the 1990s, when she opened The Bag Lady, a business she started in her kitchen, in Savannah. By 1996, she opened her wildly popular Savannah staple The Lady and Sons, with her two sons.
Deen became a near-instant Food Network star in 1999, appearing on shows including “Ready, Set, Cook!” In 2002, she starred in her own show, “Paula’s Home Cooking.” Soon, Oprah and other A-list stars began featuring the relatable chef with the Southern twang on their shows.
The beloved television chef’s image was tarnished in 2013 after she acknowledged she had used a racial slur during depositions for a lawsuit filed by a former employee. She lost her Food Network show and dozens of product endorsements, including Smithfield Foods.
But she was looking splendiferous (below), happy to be at the ever growing OWA complex and serving fried chicken to delighted fans right here in South Baldwin County on Dec. 16.