Swansea is getting a new restaurant at a familiar place. It will serve fish and more

For those who’ve been missing the fish fries at the Swansea Improvement Association, here’s some exciting news.

A new business is moving into the empty fish stand, and beginning in December, folks can go fishin’ again at 216 Service St. in Swansea.

The B’s Family Kitchen will open either Friday, Dec. 1, or Friday, Dec. 8, according to owner Ruth Blavesciunas. As of now, the opening date isn’t confirmed because Blavesciunas is still waiting on some equipment for the new kitchen as well as final inspections from the city.

Once open, folks who get food from The B’s Family Kitchen will be able to dine inside, said Geoff Schmidt of the Swansea Improvement Association.

The B’s family Kitchen is located in the former site of the Swansea Fish Stand, which moved to the KC Club & Event Center in O’Fallon in July.

Schmidt said at the time that the Swansea Improvement Association would reopen the fish stand under new management.

And The B’s Family Kitchen is bringing more to the table than just fish.

A menu with variety

Blavesciunas’ new kitchen will serve delicious meals five evenings a week, to start, and offer specials that include:

• Thursday - Wing Special: wings – naked or dipped with sauce options: buffalo, BBQ, sweet & spicy, garlic parmesan, Carolina Gold;

• Friday - Fish Special: Cod and catfish cut-ups, sandwiches and plates, shrimp and shrimp plates. All served with pickles, onions and bread. Sides include fries, onion rings, stewed tomatoes, mac & cheese, hush puppies, coleslaw, potato salad, cucumber tomato onion salad, side salad;

• Saturday - Kitchen’s Choice: Ask or see the chalkboard onsite. Blavesciunas said they would offer hearty meals such as pork chops and meatloaf;

• Sunday - Fried Chicken: quarter and half chicken plates, country fried chicken plate, 8-piece chicken. All plates come with mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans or corn, and dinner rolls with butter;

• Monday - Mexican: Includes deep fried tacos, tacos (soft or hard shell), cheese quesadillas, loaded nachos, burritos, deep fried dessert tacos (apple, cherry or strawberry). Sides include Mexican rice or refried beans. Blavesciunas said they will make their own chips too. (Yum!)

Then there’s the everyday menu with a variety of appetizers, sandwiches and burgers, salads and sides. The B’s Family Kitchen also offers a kids’ menu.

Best of all, cod is available every day the kitchen is open, so if you’re busy on Fridays, you won’t miss out.

Blavesciunas wants to offer different things for different days, a good variety for everyone so no one gets bored with the selections.

For colder weather she plans to make chicken n’ dumplings or chili … foods for the seasons, if you will.

She said her food isn’t going to be like everyone else’s.

“It’s all about seasoning the food right,” she said.

She makes her own seasonings for foods like fries and burgers and her own sauces for the wings.

Blavesciunas also said they will offer homemade desserts, which will vary by day and include gooey butter cake, cheesecakes, carrot cake, pies, banana nut bread, and dessert tacos – a deep fried shell covered in cinnamon sugar and filled with cream cheese, fruit compote (or perhaps banana pudding) and topped with whipped cream.

She’s also proud of the deep-fried bread rolls she will offer.

“Tastes like it comes right out of the oven,” she said.

“All about wowin’ that customer”

Blavesciunas said she always wanted to run her own business. As someone who loves to cook, she knew that business would be food-related.

With more than 38 years of customer service experience, including working as a customer service manager at a Schnucks store, Blavesciunas also has experience in the restaurant industry, having managed kitchens at different restaurants.

“We’re working together (with the Swansea Improvement) to make sure we take care of the customers,” said Blavesciunas, who is excited to venture out on her own.

For its first month, The B’s Family Kitchen will be staffed by Blavesciunas’ family, including her son and daughter-in-law, Shawn and Amy Blavesciunas.

In January, she hopes to add seven or eight more employees.

Both Blavesciunas and Schmidt are focused on the dining-in option, particularly on Fridays.

Blavesciunas said operations will be more like a restaurant, with wait staff coming into the main building to check on customers.

Folks can place an order at the stand outside and wait at their tables. Numbers will be given to customers so runners, equipped with headsets, can deliver food to their tables.

There will also be a public address system in place to announce when orders are ready. Those ordering carryout meals will get pagers.

Blavesciunas said she’s known for telling staff to present food to customers that they would eat themselves. If it looks like something they wouldn’t eat, it’s not suitable for the customers.

“It’s all about wowin’ that customer” so they come back, said Blavesciunas.

About The B’s Family Kitchen

The B’s Family Kitchen is located on the site of the Swansea Improvement Association at 216 Service St., Swansea.

Hours will be 4-8 p.m. Thursday-Monday.

Blavesciunas said once they settle in, hours on Friday and Saturday will be extended to 11 a.m to 8 p.m., and that the hours of operation will likely change again in the spring.

For more information or to place an order, call 618-416-1868. For updates, visit facebook.com/thebsfamilykitchen.