Paula Deen To Open Store in Buffalo
Nov. 15, 2013— -- Paula Deen is bringing her Butt Massage to Buffalo.
After months of keeping a low profile in the wake of a race- and gender-discrimination lawsuit this summer, celebrity chef Paula Deen announced she will be opening a new headquarters and Paula Deen Foods store in a suburb of Buffalo, N.Y., this February. The shop will be styled to resemble Deen's home kitchen and offer products from her eponymous line of goods, including Ooey Gooey Butter Cake Mix and spice-rub blends for pork butts.
The celebrity chef has made just one public appearance since the lawsuit revealed an alleged history of making racial slurs, which resulted in the termination of various television and endorsement deals.
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At the Metropolitan Cooking & Entertaining Show in Houston in September, the chef expressed "tears of joy" at the audience's support, inspiring a standing ovation from the crowd. The lawsuit, which had been brought by a former employee, was ultimately thrown out.
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In addition to a ribbon-cutting at the Paula Deen Foods store on Feb. 8, 2014 in Clarence, N.Y., a cooking demo will take place that can be attended for $60 per ticket. A separate VIP Lunch with Paula costs $250 and includes an autographed cookbook, gift bag, a photo opportunity and a "Southern style lunch personally selected by Paula Deen," according to ticket sellers.
Deen's representatives did not immediately respond to ABC News' requests for comment.
