Paula Deen (born Paula Ann Hiers on January 19, 1947) is an American cook, restaurateur, and Emmy Award-winning television personality.

Deen resides in Savannah, Georgia, where she owns The Lady & Sons restaurant and runs it with her sons, Jamie and Bobby. She has also published four cookbooks. On her television shows and in her books and appearances, she uses the surname Deen from her first marriage.

Born in Albany, Georgia, . As documented in the Food Network special Chefography and Paula Deen's Official Website, both her parents died by the time she was 23, and her husband decided to move closer to his family. Deen had agoraphobia and would not leave her house. She was a proficient Southern cook, a talent she used to help her deal with her condition. In 1986, she felt well enough to take a job as a bank teller. After the family moved to Savannah in 1989, she divorced her husband and expanded her cooking experience into a catering service. She made sandwiches and other meals with lots of butter and lard, which her sons Jamie and Bobby delivered.

The Bag Lady (as the business was named) was wildly successful, and soon outgrew her kitchen. On January 8, 1996, she opened her own restaurant, The Lady and Sons, in downtown Savannah on West Congress Street. Within a few years, the restaurant moved to a larger building in Savannah's historic district. USA Today named The Lady and Sons the "International Meal of the Year" in 1999. The specialty is the buffet, which may include sweet potatoes, macaroni and cheese, fried twinkies, fried chicken, cheesy meatloaf, greens, beans, and creamed corn. Every meal comes with a garlic cheese biscuit and one of Deen's famous hoecakes. The restaurant is run by her sons when they are in town.

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