The Customers Have Spoken

Less than a week after making an urgent plea for more diners, the owner of a downtown Sioux Falls establishment is responding to a huge outpouring of support.

The backstory

Last Friday (May 9), Swamp Daddy's Cajun Kitchen owner, Del'Inkka Beaudion, posted on the restaurant's Facebook page that the business in the Jones 421 Building on North Phillips Avenue was struggling after a prolonged stretch of smaller crowds.

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Outpouring of support

Since the post hit social media, fans of the restaurant have responded with an outpouring of support, which translated into a very busy weekend in the dining room.

Some also used the post as an opportunity to share with Beaudion some of the issues that they felt were potentially holding the restaurant back.

One main complaint

One of the most common criticisms was the 18 percent gratuity that the restaurant automatically added to every ticket. Beaudion says it was her way of making sure her staff was taken care of, but several people objected to the tip being mandatory.

Big policy change

After seeing the response, Beaudion immediately took action, and the mandatory gratuity is no more at Swamp Daddy's.

Other issues

Others complained about what they considered to be parking issues on North Phillips Avenue, which Beaudion clarified, pointing to a sizeable free lot directly across from the restaurant, adjacent to the Levitt Band Shell.

She also addressed Swamp Daddy's decision not to open on Sundays, which has been the policy of the restaurant since the beginning, more than a decade ago.

In a 21-minute Facebook video, Beaudin covered a wide range of topics related to the response she's received.

Swamp Daddy's is open Tuesday-Saturday from 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM.

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Gallery Credit: Karla Brown / Townsquare Media