Paula Deen Doesn't Bother to Tell Employees That They're Out of a Job

The stupidly named seafood shack that blew up Paula Deen’s empire has been suddenly shut down. Uncle Bubba’s Seafood and Oyster House has been closed to “explore development options for the waterfront property on which the restaurant is located.”

The closing was conducted in a manner of which no truly gracious Southern hostess could possibly approve: Employees were given zero warning. According to WSAV, several say they weren’t even notified, and some seem to have found out via an announcement on the Uncle Bubble Facebook page. Several employees posted complaints, and the page has since been deleted:

bubba pulled the plug because of “real estate” options. he didnt have the audacity to let ANY of his employees know until today and we all found out on FACEBOOK. restaurants close all the time but you never find out through a fucking Facebook status. I worked there for 5 years. complete and total lack of respect and bullshit.

my mother worked there for over 8 years and no one called her!!! My fiance also worked there no one call him, in fact a UB manager called him LAST NIGHT to get his availability for next week! Its s shame how the employees of UB were treated!!

They didnt even tell the staff they closed. Staff shows up with a closed sign and appliances being taken out. Even employees that were there for almost 8 years plus didnt even receive a single notification. Such a cowardly way to close down.

The Savannah Morning News reports that employees collected their severance checks in the parking lot.

The restaurant, co-owned by Deen but run day-to-day by her brother Bubba Hiers, was at the center of the scandal that blew a hole in the side of Deen’s lucrative mainstream gig. A former manager sued, alleging a racially charged atmosphere, as well as general sexual vileness. In the course of the case, Deen admitted to dropping the n-word at least once, and, according to the Savannah Morning News, Hiers copped to “a history of cocaine use and alcohol abuse,” watching porn at work and skimming money from the restaurant in 2010.

So it sounds like the joint was just super well run.

Heirs’ statement paints the closing as a chance to flip the waterfront property, but it’s sure conveniently timed, with an investor having recently filled Deen’s pockets for a comeback. Maybe she figures she’s got a better shot at securing the country’s forgiveness if she cuts her idiot Bubba brother loose.