(WBIR - PIGEON FORGE) - Celebrity Chef Paula Deen's restaurant at The Island in Pigeon Forge opens Monday. But Paula couldn't wait til then.
She was ready to do some meetin' and greetin' Friday.
Deen met the staff of Paula Deen's Family Kitchen and got to work showing them how to prepare some of her specialties. No doubt a little butter was involved.
On Friday night, she was to attend a VIP party.
""We have supplied them with all the recipes - and please follow our recipes -- and they've all been very good at that. They all understand that whether you're in Savannah or in Pigeon Forge, I want the food to be identical. I want you to get what you're expecting," she told 10News.
Among the items on the menu will be fried chicken and fried green tomatoes. Of course.
Deen said she also is intent on contributing to the community.
"I want to give back, and we have made donations. The Bag Lady Foundation has supported the Boys Club here, the Boys and Girls Club. So we hope to help do good things for this community."
The 20,000-square-foot restaurant will serve many of the Georgia native's family recipes. At an on-site store, customers also can purchase many of her best-selling products. It'll be open seven days week.
