Sioux Falls southern Cajun, Creole restaurant to reopen after three major damages

Owners of Swamp Daddy’s Cajun Kitchen announced via Facebook Live on Friday evening that they are hoping to reopen in September in their current space in the Jones Building.

The restaurant’s Facebook page announced earlier Friday that some “exciting” and “big” news would be announced on the 7 p.m. live.

Owner Del'Inkka Beaudion said “it’s been a lot” after being forced to close for six months after an HVAC company accidentally hit a pipe while rearranging the furnace area in the condo upstairs, releasing 800 gallons of green glycol, a toxic liquid that’s mainly used in automotive antifreeze, according to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry website.

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“Some say, ‘It was water. They had a water leak.’ This was not water. That was glycol. So it was a much more serious case, which is why it's kind of taking such a long time," Beaudion said.

Since the major late January leak, Beaudion admitted she was looking at other locations, not knowing if they wanted to stay in their current space in the Jones building.

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“I was thinking that, you know, trying to see if there was something better for us because we've been through a lot in this space,” Beaudion said.

The glycol leak is the third major damage incident to their structure in the last two years. The restaurant saw a fire last year in May and a major flooding incident in December 2022. The flood took them only about two weeks to repair, but the fire took them about three weeks to rebuild, according to previous Argus Leader reporting .

But after input and encouragement from others in the Sioux Falls community, Beaudion said that in the end, they decided to remain in their current space.

“We've received messages from the community, from family, from friends, letting us know, “You guys are strong. You're going to make it through this,” and so we are,” she said.

After a large amount of construction, painting and cleaning, Beaudion said they are hoping to celebrate their grand reopening next month.

The owner said customers can expect some menu changes, including gator returning, thanks for their input and feedback.

Some of the original staff will return to Swamp Daddy’s, but a large amount of staff is still needed. Candidates can apply on Indeed.com or call the restaurant to set up an interview.

Beaudion also mentioned they will also work toward “re-establishing some of those relationships that have been tainted” due to high tension and stress during this time. She also said they have learned what they can do better as a restaurant.

“Whenever we are ready to reopen, we're going to need all the love and support,” Beaudion said. “It's been a long time since we've been open and been able to serve our community, and we definitely are missing it.”

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This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Sioux Falls southern Cajun, Creole restaurant to reopen after three major damages