AceShowbiz -

A restaurant owned by Paula Deen and her brother Earl W. "Bubba" Hiers Jr., which was at the center of racism controversy last year, has been shut down. Uncle Bubba's Seafood and Oyster House, which is located in Savannah, Ga., announces the decision on their website.

"Thank you for 10 great years. Uncle Bubba's is now closed," the announcement reads. As reported by Savannah Morning News, the business officially closed on Thursday, April 3. Employees "will be provided with severance based on position and tenure with the restaurant."

A spokesperson for Deen's family Jaret Keller explained that the eatery was closed "in order to explore development options for the waterfront property on which the restaurant is located." He added, "At this point, no specific plans have been announced and a range of uses are under consideration in order to realize the highest and best use for the property."

Deen admitted to court that she used N-word in the past during a court deposition in connection to lawsuit launched by a former employee alleging racial and sexual discrimination last year. She subsequently was let go by Food Network and lost other deals with companies such as J.C. Penney Co. and Sears Holdings. The lawsuit was dismissed in August.

Deen now is rebuilding her career. She recently signed a reported $75 million investment deal with Najafi Media.