Following a challenging few years for the hospitality industry, Rockfish, the pioneering seafood restaurant group founded by Mitch Tonks, has now submitted finalised design plans for their Sidmouth restaurant in the historic former Drill Hall, which now incorporates the adjacent toilet block. The successful restaurant group has also entered the design stages for their other two upcoming restaurant openings in Topsham and Salcombe.
For the past 12 months the leading South-West based seafood restaurant group has been focused on their employees and guests, ensuring that their staff are trained, strong and ready to welcome visitors and locals to Devon and Dorset this summer. All the while, in the background, the planning for the three upcoming restaurants in Sidmouth, Topsham and Salcombe has been progressing successfully, with the final design for the Sidmouth restaurant having been submitted to planning.
The submitted plans honour the historic significance of the Drill Hall, which will house the new Rockfish restaurant. The projected works will preserve the working aesthetic of the Drill Hall in its setting and blend in with the character of the existing, neighbouring buildings on Sidmouth’s esplanade. The submitted design also outlines efforts to protect the local landmark from any further erosion or decay as a result of the elements, by adding a layer of further insulation to the outer walls. Alongside these preservative works for the Drill Hall, Rockfish’s plans for the site now also include the
redevelopment of the adjacent toilet block and the addition of new, more modern public toilet facilities for the town.
Founder & CEO Mitch Tonks says:
“I’m really excited about this incredible, historic location and about Rockfish joining the thriving community in Sidmouth. Opening a sustainable seafood restaurant in a seaside town, right by the water, naturally feels like the perfect fit. We’re also very honoured and proud that our works on the Drill Hall will go beyond the restaurant itself and provide a public service to those who live and are planning to visit this fabulous location.”
The project will create 30 – 40 local full and part-time jobs. The opening of Rockfish will be the first restaurant in the Eastern end of the town and as such, will help to draw more people to the Port Royal area, improving the commercial viability of other nearby businesses.
Dining Devon 