9 August 2024

Six months after Swamp Daddy’s Cajun Kitchen was forced to close its downtown restaurant due to a glycol leak, it is about to reopen.

Co-owner Inkaa Beaudion announced in a Facebook video on Friday that an early reopening is planned in the Jones421 building.

“I’m really happy to share some news, some news of actual progress,” she said. “We’ve certainly been working to make sure we’re being purposeful in what we’re doing.”

They looked at other locations, she said, but ultimately decided to return to the space at 421 N. Phillips Ave.

“We’ve been through a lot here, but after a lot of input and positive messages and encouragement that we’ve gotten from the community, from family, from friends… we decided to stay here in the Jones building and we’ve done a little bit of building, painting and cleaning.”

She described the leak as a serious matter that had taken some time and required further cleanup before it could be reopened.

“We are doing our best to clean up and restore everything,” she said, adding that those who would like to help with the cleanup are also welcome.

The restaurant needs servers, dishwashers and cooks. Some employees will return, but more will need to be hired, she said. Search for job openings on Indeed.com.

“We’re also going to make some menu changes, in a positive way,” Beaudion said. “We’ve had a lot of feedback over the years about what people wanted and what they were craving.”

The ordeal was exhausting, but “I think it was a stroke of luck that gave us the opportunity to recognize what we need to make things better,” she added.

An official opening date has not yet been set, but they hope it will be sometime in September, in time for her birthday, Beaudion said.

“I think it will be a nice birthday present to myself if we can open up and celebrate together,” she said.

“It was a lot. We really missed you all.”