The Swanson recently celebrated two successful decades of servingdelicious southern cuisine in a uniquely historical atmosphere.Imagine dining at a restaurant that literally transports you into the distant past...into a time whengas lamps (orcandles) were used for light, folks used coach horses as their transportation, and a butter churn was a householdnecessity. While there are some eating establishments that probably come to mind, sadly in this erathat focuses onimmediate consumption of cheap food, the number of places that serve home-cooked meals seem to be in shortsupply nowadays.

The Swanson, a dining establishment whose construction dates back to the late 18thCentury, recently celebratedits 20thAnniversary. The restaurant was named after Ms. Norine Swanson-Jones, who played the organ for Perry’schurches and was very active in the community, establishing Perry’s first kindergarten in her home in the1930s. Many locals still remember attending her school and have signed the Swanson’s guest book with the years of their attendance.

When patrons first enter the restaurant’s doors on Carroll Street, they can immerse themselves in over 200 years of history while enjoying some of the best southern food in Georgia. Keeping in harmony with their forbearers, theowners encourage patrons to dress casually while enjoying time with family and friends in anenvironment that canbe likened to dining at your grandmother’s house.For The Swanson’s anniversary celebration, balloons andcake was served to each customer. Both the WarnerRobins and Perry Chambers of Commerce were in attendance, as was Mayor Randall Walker. Owners Kim andMike Sheridan expressed their deep gratitude to all their employees and customers for their continued support inhelping to make The Swanson such a success. “We were so excited to celebrate our 20th year with local dignitariesand staff,” says Kim. “We feel so welcomed here in Perry. We love our customers and are just so very thankful forthem.’

Over two centuries before Kim and Mike would purchase the building, the Cox-Swanson home was actually verywell-known in the region. Originally constructed in 1780 as a livery stable, the structure was eventually convertedinto a home. Since then, the house has undergone numerous additions and renovations. In the 1880s, for example, athree-room house was added to the property and became the home of the former mayor of Perry, Mayor Cox. In1909, two additional bedrooms as well as a large hall were added, resultingin the structure that you see today.

In 1903, the home was purchased by Nora Cox, Norine Swanson Jones’ grandmother. “Norine was very well-known and respected in the community,” explains Kim. “In addition to playing piano for both the Baptist andMethodist churches, she also babysat some of the children of her former students when she was older.”

Like most military families, Kim and Mike have “lived all over” before eventually deciding to move to Perry.“We settled here in the late 70s when Mike got a job at Robins Air Force Base, and this is where we raised ourchildren,” explains Kim. “I’m a systems analyst by trade, and my job required a good deal of traveling. I came upwith the idea to opena sandwich shop so that I could stay closer to home since our (then) teenager was very activein sports and school.”

It was back in 2001 whenthe couple decided to purchase the Cox-Swanson home with the idea of opening a smallsandwich shop. “We were looking at locations around town, and then we learned that the United Methodist Churchwas interested in selling the Cox-Swansonresidence,” recalls Kim. “They were using it as office space as well as forSunday School classes.”

Fortunately for the Sheridans, Mike could put his mechanical engineering skills to work in order to convert thehome into a working restaurant. “He has some pretty extensive architectural and design skills, so we were confidentthat he could make it into a functioning dining establishment,” says Kim.

Mike had his hands full because there had to be some major renovations before The Swanson was ready for thepublic. “Right off the bat, I had to entirely replace the plumbing and electrical systems,” explains Mike. “We addedsome bathrooms and even enlarged the back part of the kitchenby about eight feet. We also converted the stable into a prep room, office and storage area. Of course, then all of the restaurant equipment had to be purchased andinstalled.”

It was one thing to renovate the Cox-Swanson house, but it’s another thing entirely to own and operate arestaurant. “Neither Mike nor I had any experience in the restaurant business, so it was kind of a crazy notion to dothis.” Although Kim had been cooking Wednesday night suppers for the Methodist Church, the couple had noknowledge about the workings of the restaurant business. However, they received somemuch-neededmentoringfrom the UGA Small Business Development Center.

When The Swanson first opened in October of 2002, Mike and Kim had since abandoned the idea of asandwichshop and chose to go more upscale with their menu items. “After I finished renovating, it was the fanciest sandwichshop you’d ever see, so wetried our hand at being a fine-dining establishment,” says Mike. “We had no clue aboutwhat we were doing at first.”

Unfortunately, the menu was not a big hit with the public, so the couple tried Italian food for a while. However,on Sundays when they served southern food, they noticed something interesting. “Everyone just flocked to therestaurant, sothat of course raised our eyebrows.”

It didn’t take long before the entire menu would revolve around traditional southern foods. “I just had to convertmy recipes into restaurant meals, so there was definitely some trial and error,” says Kim. “Everything that weprepare is done from scratch, the way your mother would do it.” The Swanson cooks everything to order, and somestaples include salmon croquets, sweet potato casserole, collard greens,andcream corn, just to name a few.

Over the years, wordof mouth spread about the unique southern eatery, and it became a local favorite, despite theinitial “identity crisis”.Kim attributes the success of The Swanson to just one word–stubbornness. “Failure justwasn’t an option for us. As anyone who’s opened a restaurant will tell you, it’s a struggle, and it certainly was thecase for us for many years. We just never thought about giving up, and here we are 20 years later.”

Now boasting a staff of over 40 employees, The Swanson has become famous forits charming ambience, friedchicken, fried green tomatoes, and its “little biscuits”.The restaurant was even honored by Garden & Gun magazinefor being the only Georgia restaurant selected as one of “The Best Chicken Joints in the South”.In addition, TheSwanson provides food for the Guardian Center, a state-of-the-art training campus in Perry.“

Our philosophy has always revolved around consistency,” says Mike. “For instance, we don’t deviate from ourrecipe book. All of our vegetables are fresh, except for the green beans, and our entrees are made to order. Basically,what itsays on the menu is what we do for you.”

So, whether it’s lunch on the porch or dinner in one of its beautifully (and newly) decorated dining rooms, The Swanson is a must for any fan of great southern food in a casual yet elegant atmosphere. Bon Appétit!