June 30, 2021

Swamp Daddy’s Cajun Kitchen is about to add a lot more space.

The restaurant specializing in Southern cuisine is moving from its original space in the Jones421 Building downtown to two larger vacant spaces.

They most recently were MK Threads and BluMoon Designs.

The combined space will be nearly 3,000 square feet.

“I love being downtown and the environment we’re in,” said owner Del’Inkka Beaudion, who was an original tenant when the building opened in 2018 after starting her business with her mother-in-law, Gwendolyn, in a food truck.

“I feel like because we are so unique, we’re a perfect fit for downtown. I love the concept of the Jones building with the open-market concept and the development that’s also happening on our end of downtown.”

The move will allow Swamp Daddy’s to expand in multiple ways. The bigger kitchen that will built on the former BluMoon Designs side will lead to an expanded menu, and there will be seating for 42 customers, Beaudion said.

“We have a new and improved menu coming up,” she said. “I wanted to take the opportunity to take in the feedback we’ve been receiving from our customers and incorporate those suggestions.”

The new additions will be a surprise and revealed closer to opening, she said.

The former MK Threads space, which opens to the building’s courtyard, will be designed as a beer and wine bar with additional seating. Food will be served on both sides.

“It’s a new world for me,” Beaudion said of beginning beer and wine sales. “We have some business mentors that have given us advice in the past and have experience in beer and wine, so we’re leaning heavily on them for guidance and direction.”

The Louisiana-inspired design will continue into the new space, she said. Sarah Lavin, who designed the original location, is working with Beaudion on this one.

“I definitely want people to feel whenever they step into Swamp Daddy’s 2.0 that they’re transported into Louisiana, into New Orleans, not just with our food but the environment we plan on bringing,” she said.

Her hope is to stay open in the current location while construction is underway and move into the new location in September.

“It’s a lot of hard work, but it’s something we really enjoy,” Beaudion said. “It’s a lot of fun, and that’s what I’m focusing on – building our legacy and our future. I just want to make my mark in Sioux Falls.”

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