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Paula Deen’s Family Kitchen is planned at a new building to be constructed on Branson Landing’s north end.
Photo provided by HCW Development Co. LLC
Paula Deen’s Family Kitchen is planned at a new building to be constructed on Branson Landing’s north end.

Paula Deen restaurant signs on at Branson Landing

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Paula Deen is coming to Branson, y’all.

The celebrity chef’s Paula Deen’s Family Kitchen is slated to open at a new building planned on the north end of Branson Landing, said Rick Huffman, CEO of HCW Development Co. LLC, which owns the outdoor mall.

Huffman said Deen’s company signed a long-term lease for undisclosed terms about a month ago for nearly 16,000 square feet in the planned nearly 19,000-square-foot building. Construction is scheduled to start in about 45 days and wrap up in late April, when Paula Deen’s Family Kitchen would open, he said. The remaining space will be used by Deen as a shop featuring products she selects, according to a news release issued this morning.

“Paula came to town about a year ago, and she likes Branson,” Huffman said, referencing her visit to the city to promote her book “At the Southern Table.”

“We reached out to her company last November and started the negotiations.”

In the release, Deen said she’s “looking forward” to bringing the restaurant to her fans in Branson. Deen is known for hosting “Paula's Home Cooking” on the Food Network, as well as other television shows.

“Together with the team at Branson Landing, we will provide a truly memorable experience for folks who enjoy delicious Southern comfort food, family vacations and great entertainment,” she said in the release.

Paula Deen’s Family Kitchen operates restaurants in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee; Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; and Dallas and San Antonio, Texas. The San Antonio location is inside a Bass Pro Shops store, and another restaurant is planned in Foley, Alabama. The venture promises “Southern food” and “Southern hospitality,” according to its website.

“The company is expanding quite a bit all over the South,” Huffman said. “It’s a great fit for Branson.”

The Texas restaurants were the most recent to open, according to the website.

Springfield Business Journal recently reported on Branson Landing’s rebound in occupancy levels, as well as the new building planned on the north end of the development. At the time, Huffman cited a nondisclosure clause preventing him from revealing the name of the restaurant tenant.

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