Kerry seafood restaurant the Fish Box to expand following €400,000 investment

The funding will see the Kerry business expand its customer intake as well as purchase a new food truck

Micheál Flannery manages the family-owned Fish Box in Dingle. Picture: Dominick Walsh

Kerry-based seafood business the Fish Box has completed a €400,000 investment which it said will "dramatically expand" its operations.

Established in Dingle in 2018, the restaurant and takeaway said the investment will be used for a new food truck along with a new fish counter and solar panels in a bid to reduce energy costs.

A family-owned business headed by Micheál Flannery, The Fish Box received €200,000 in grant aid towards its investment under the Brexit Blue Economy Enterprise Development Scheme, recommended by the Seafood Taskforce established by Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue and implemented by Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM). The scheme is funded by the European Union under the Brexit Adjustment Reserve.

Employing around 35 people, the restaurant, which seats 20, added that it will expand further to accommodate 100 customers indoors.

“Without the support of Bim and the Brexit Blue Economy Enterprise Development Scheme we would not have been able to have undertaken this significant investment,” said Micheál Flannery. 

"We believe this is going to put us on the road to expansion, with local producers and fishermen benefitting, as well as the consumer.”

“We really believe that with our own trawler catching fish and supplying to our restaurant, the fresh fish counter and the truck we have a model that will work all over Ireland, and expansion from Kerry is something we will explore next year.”