NEW BUSINESS: Stephen Dermody pictured at the new family run business Hugga Mugga on College Street.

By Michelle Crean

Going against the current tide of closures due to COVID one local family have decided to set up a new business with a unique menu which offers Belgian waffles on a stick - and it's proving quite the success.

Hugga Mugga on College St has set up as a take away only operation permanently where customers can get their purchases through a hatch.

It was a tentative opening in late December but Sarah Dermody, who also works as a Duty Manager at The Brehon Hotel, said it's going in the right direction.

On a trip to Belgium some time ago, Sarah experienced waffles which could be eaten as a take away option.

And when her father Stephen Dermody, who was the General Manager at the Killarney Court Hotel, said he was interested in setting up a business, they teamed up. With her father's business acumen, Sarah running social media and coming up with unique recipes, and Sarah's sister Clodagh giving a helping hand with kitting out the premises, it's a good old family affair!

"We opened at the end of December and it's going really well," Sarah told the Killarney Advertiser.

"We're based as a take away model one hundred percent. We did have the intention to sit inside but that's not an option at the moment and we won't in the future. We wanted to do Belgian waffles to add something different to the mix. We also do coffee, a rainforest blend, Chi lattes, tea and seven types of hot chocolate including a unicorn one."

And she added that while what they're offering is unique, and it's difficult opening during a pandemic, the people of Killarney are right behind them.

"The people of Killarney have been brilliant. Unique is what we were going for. We're not sure what the future holds but we plan to do ice cream in the summer."