Meet Curlethia Swanigan | Restaurant and Catering Company Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Curlethia Swanigan and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Curlethia, where are your from? We’d love to hear about how your background has played a role in who you are today?
My parents were educators. My father was a teacher/principal for 36 years and my mother was an elementary teacher for 39 years. When one of the schools where my father was the principal was torn down, he used the bricks and built the house where I grew up . I can literally say I grew up in a school house! To put it frankly, education was a pillar in our home. Faith was another very important foundation of our family. My parents strongly believed that in order to become a successful person, you had to be knowledgeable, kind, giving, and display the values of a person who believed in God, in whatever form you call Him. My sisters and I were all college graduates, and this accomplishment passed down to my nieces and nephews. No matter what your educational focus is/was, you have to have some understanding of the greater world around you in order to be successful. I have a BS in Biology and a BA in German. Neither of these degrees have any impact directly on my business, however, my educational experiences have shaped my ability to think on a broader scale and understand the nuances of professionalism.
My faith keeps me grounded. I am able to withstand the “hard times” through my belief and faith in a higher power. I am able to give back to my community and try to be a good businesswoman and better person because my faith deems it so. We have been successful in our business not just through our own hard work, but by blessings we have received and are so grateful for them. Our blessings is what propels us to be blessings to others and what drives us to try to be role models in the industry.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
We started from NOTHING. When other businesses say they built their brands from the ground up, they mean they were able to secure capitol and build on that capitol to create a sustainable business. We started with $0, some really great friends, and the ability to cook a good meal.

We began by participating in potlucks at work. This progressed to friends and family members asking us to prepare dishes for events. One day, one of my coworkers asked if we would cater her sister’s wedding for 100 people. It was the biggest thing we had ever done and marked the beginning of the fulfillment of our dreams – Black Swan Catering Company. We were able to cater with just 3 of us serving ribs, chicken, vegan skewers, 4 or 5 sides, fruit, vegetables, all kinds of things. We did it! We made it work and it was great. Word of mouth resulted in us being asked to cater for lunches at jobs, birthdays, and other small events. Our big break came when a local television station asked us to cater for 350 people. It was a success and allowed us to get exposure that we could never have gotten on our own. We volunteer and donate to a local charity every Christmas, and as we were being interviewed by a radio station, we were asked to cater for 500 people for Arkansas Baptist College’s annual Supper and Soul fundraiser. The recording artists Tony Toni Tone were the act for the night and the menu had about 12 items on it. 2 weeks before the event, we were told there would be 800 in attendance. We made it happen! This afforded us the opportunity to rent space on campus in the student union building, and the So Full Cafe was born.

Since opening So Full, we have been awarded grants by Discover Card for our community service; contracts by the State of Arkansas; we have catered for up to 1500 people at 3 separate events; and have secured short-term Federal Government contracts. We have since moved from the campus and are in the process of acquiring our on stand-alone restaurant building.

It was NOT easy. There were many days when were had 0 people walk in our doors and days when we had to “make arrangements” to pay bills. But our faith and our ability to garner new business has kept us afloat and successful. We have had to file insurance claims for loss due to weather-related incidents, and on Thanksgiving Day, 2021, our house burned to the ground. We were at the restaurant working on Thanksgiving orders for our customers and couldn’t even stop because we promised our clients their meals. Because of an outpouring of love and support from our customers, friends, former coworkers, and even social media acquaintances, we were able to maintain our personal lives while continuing to build our business.

We want everyone to know that we are as loyal to our customers as we are to one-another. We have a “drama-free” company culture of love and respect. Even when we aren’t being respected, we show kindness and understanding. We are all about positivity and growth. When new foodservice companies get started, they are referred to us to show them the basics and to help them get their feet in the door. We believe there is room for everyone to win and refuse to be a hinderance to another business, whether through our words or actions.

We are so very proud that we have come this far from 0. We are proud that we can help others, and we are proud that we are still nice people. I call it “Prideful Humility”. We have won awards and been featured locally and nationally for our food, service, and willingness to help others and we have learned that its not easy. It won’t always be easy or fun, but you will be surprised who is in your corner to help.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
First, I have to shoutout my industry friends, because, yeah.

Nawf of the City – some of the most fun you can have at a club full of ADULTS. Great chicken wings and catfish. The DJ will even let you get up and sing badly if you want.

Certified Pies – Black Owned Pizza Parlor with GOOD pizza.

Cheesecake on Point – Matcha makes these cheesecakes that are absolutely amazing. Wear a belt because she will charm the pants off you.

K-Hall and Sons – Local grocery store and restaurant. Ask for the Philly.

Lindsey’s Hospitality House – Family owned BBQ and Restaurant that has been feeding the state for over 50 years. Hands down the best around.

LaChanges Bar and Grill – another staple of the city. Great music, awesome atmosphere, and amazing food.

Big Dam Bridge – after you have eaten everywhere and partied too hard, go walk across the Arkansas River. It is absolutely gorgeous.

The Clinton Library – The library/museum is in the heart of downtown Little Rock and has tons of historical items from Bill Clinton’s term as POTUS.

Central High School – visit the historic site where the Little Rock 9 were accosted and abused for simply trying to get a fair education.

Burns Park – one of the largest city parks in the United States. It is absolutely beautiful, and they have Pickleball courts.

On Tuesdays, go to Prost/Underground Lounge/Willie D’s bar in the River Market district for karaoke with KJ JB. Tell him the Queen and King of karaoke sent you.

The So Full Cafe – we have the BEST OXTAILS IN ARKANSAS, hot water cornbread that was magazine article worthy, and some mighty good Macaroni and Cheese that was featured in the newspaper.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I am shouting my husband, William “BigWill” Swanigan, my parents, Curtis and Delois Sykes; my mother-in-law, Shirrie Swanigan; my sisters, Adrienne Thrasher, Belinda Burney, and Rosalyn Sykes; my :other family: and staff – the Lindsey’s and Margie Scott; my college; Dillard University in New Orleans, Louisiana, my church, Friendly Chapel Church of the Nazarene; and my Sorority, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated. I wouldn’t be able to be strong without you holding me up.

Image Credits
Ebony “Miss Camera Lady” Blevins Charles Ricks Photography