| Pigeon
Forge, TN – March 2014 / Newsmaker Alert / Paula Deen Ventures
has announced it will open Paula Deen’s Family Kitchen, a restaurant and
retail operation, at The Island in Pigeon Forge, a mixed-use development
in the heart of Pigeon Forge.
It has a projected design,
construction and yearly operation budget of nearly $20 million and will
occupy a 20,000-square-foot building. Opening is planned for late summer
2014.
“This is yet another major
investment in Pigeon Forge tourism,” said Leon Downey, executive director
of the Pigeon Forge Department
of Tourism.
“Other recent announcements
include Jimmy Buffett’s Hotel and Restaurant, the Hard Rock Cafe and the
DreamMore Resort at Dollywood. Also, the city opened its $45 million LeConte
Center at Pigeon Forge last October,” he said.
|
Paula Deen’s Family Kitchen
to open restaurant at The Island in Pigeon Forge
|
Darby Campbell and Bob McManus,
developers of The Island in Pigeon Forge, have partnered with Paula Deen
Ventures on the Paula Deen’s Family Kitchen project.
“We can develop Paula Deen
retail and restaurants that capture the imagination of Paula’s massive
fan base and Pigeon Forge’s huge tourist community,” Campbell said.
Pigeon Forge, with a resident
population of about 6,400, welcomes more than 10 million visitors a year.
More than 2.5 million of them stay overnight.
“One of Pigeon Forge’s fundamental
appeals is that every year brings new reasons to visit. Paula Deen’s Family
Kitchen is carrying on a great tradition of growth for Pigeon Forge,” Downey
said.
Information about all aspects
of visiting Pigeon Forge is at www.MyPigeonForge.com
or by calling 800-251-9100.
|
Media Contact:
Tom
Adkinson, APR
for Pigeon Forge Department
of Tourism
615-341-8796 |
