Paula Deen opens first restaurant in Texas

Chef Paula Deen at KitchenAid Culinary Demonstrations during 2015 Food Network & Cooking Channel South Beach Wine & Food Festival at Grand Tasting Village on Feb. 22, 2015 in Miami Beach, Fla. (Photo by Aaron Davidson/Getty Images for SOBEWFF

Paula Deen, known as "the Queen of Southern Cuisine," announced that her first Paula Deen’s Family Kitchen location in the state of Texas is now open at 163 Fountain Court in Fairview, at the Fairview Town Center. The restaurant is approximately thirty miles from Dallas.

“I adore all of my fans in Texas, and bringing my Southern cooking to the Lone Star State is something I have dreamed about for years,” said author and restaurateur Paula Deen. “This is the perfect place to bring together family, friends, and great Southern food-three of my favorite things!”

At Paula Deen’s Family Kitchen, guests will enjoy family-style dining, sharing endless bowls of mouthwatering traditional southern entrees and side dishes, including Paula’s famous Southern Fried Chicken, Georgia Fried Catfish, Spare Ribs, Baked Mac & Cheese, and Fried Okra, and all guests end their meal with a dessert of their choosing, like Paula’s Ooey Gooey Butter Cake.

“I have taken my favorite recipes and brought them to life in an atmosphere that feels just like my own home,” said Deen.

This location includes a 250-seat dining room and The Paula Deen Store, a large retail store where guests can purchase items from Paula’s home, kitchen, and lifestyle collections. A fully functioning replica of Paula’s home kitchen with an interactive cooking experience called “Cooking with Paula” will commence during the coming months.

Deen will celebrate the opening of Paula Deen’s Family Kitchen in Fairview on Friday, April 20, and Saturday, April 21. For more information about Deen's schedule and “Cooking with Paula” at the Fairview location, visit www.facebook.com/PDFKDallas.

Current Paula Deen’s Family Kitchen locations include Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, with more locations planned for later this year. Deen’s first restaurant, The Lady & Sons, opened in downtown Savannah in 1996.

“We can’t wait to bring the love and warmth of Paula Deen’s Family Kitchen to Dallas. Paula’s fans and guests are going to love the ‘Cooking with Paula’ experience we are launching later this year,” said Rajat Shah, founder and CEO of Phoenix Hospitality and Entertainment, Inc.

The Fairview restaurant will provide approximately 250 jobs to the area, as well as sales tax revenue that will contribute to the local economy in Fairview. Positions include chefs, managers, line cooks, prep cooks, bakers, dishwashers, bussers, bartenders, servers, hosts, and retail sales associates.

For more information about Paula Deen’s Family Kitchen, please visit PaulaDeensFamilyKitchen.com.