When Hannes Kindeberg talks about his life and his company, it’s hard not to be fascinated. He describes a life marked by bold ventures, big risks, and an endless drive. Today, he and his partner Sofia run Fisky Business – a company that has grown from simple festival stands to a business with several restaurants, food trucks, and 55 employees. But the road there has been anything but straight.
– A year ago, we said that we had so much to do that either we had to start winding down. Or we had to try to accelerate our way out of it. We decided to accelerate, says Hannes.
And that very will to accelerate when others hit the brakes is a common thread in his story.
The journey began in 2006 when Hannes started working in a fish shop.
– I had no idea what I wanted to do after school. I was a fairly mediocre student, went to a sport fishing program and had no major ambitions, but then I realized that I probably wanted to work in a fish shop because I had always loved fish and the sea.
There, in a simple fish shop, the passion for the fish trade was born. For several years, he gained invaluable knowledge and connection with customers. The desire to create something of his own grew. At the age of 24, he took the step into the restaurant industry with the help of venture capital – which unfortunately turned out to be an expensive lesson.
– I wanted too much but knew too little. I was far too young and inexperienced, so we went bankrupt after about a year, Hannes recalls.
Suddenly, Hannes was left with large debts and a bruised self-esteem. To save the situation, he fled to Norway and took a job in a kitchen as a chef. There he observed what everyone else was doing and tried to learn as much as possible. It was a tough but educational year – and it was there he met Sofia, the waitress who would later become both his life partner and co-creator of Fisky Business.
When they returned to Sweden, the dream of running their own business was still alive. The year was 2014 and they decided to give the restaurant dream another chance – this time at festivals. They started with three gas burners and a few pots to heat oil since they couldn’t afford proper deep fryers.
– We didn’t make much money but we had a lot of turnover. The little money we earned we reinvested, and we worked for free for many, many years to build up the dream we had.
They traveled across the country – from Luleå to Kivik – setting up their kitchens in tents. It was exhausting, irregular, and often improvised. But they learned quickly, won the audience’s hearts, and slowly but surely built a brand.
– That’s how Fisky Business started, which is a play on words from “Risky Business,” since we put everything we had on something that could either succeed or fail.
When 2020 came, they had an entire summer tour planned – but the pandemic canceled everything. Instead, they got a tip from a friend that a new restaurateur was needed at a restaurant on Hanö – a harbor tavern.
– Either we could just give up, go bankrupt, and lose our house and everything we owned, or we could try the restaurant on Hanö.
They chose to try. The restaurant was built around an idea of “working-class” food – hearty fish dishes like whole fried plaice and oven-baked cod with Hasselback potatoes, horseradish, and green peas, instead of small exclusive portions that people couldn’t afford. Guests loved it, and the Hanö harbor tavern became the starting point for the next major phase of their journey.
Since then, the expansion has continued. When a property at Dockan in Malmö became available, they hesitated at first – too big, too expensive – but in the end, they went for it and once again chose to accelerate. Together with Perfectly Squared Brewing, they have transformed the Dockan space into a living room where you can enjoy fish and chips and a good craft beer in a creative, open, and relaxed environment. Today, they run both the restaurant in Malmö and the harbor tavern on Hanö, alongside their food trucks – with a total of 55 employees.
– If you want a restaurant and a 40-hour work week – then you’re better off becoming a dental nurse, because this is a lifestyle.
Despite a hectic everyday life, expansion is only part of the vision. Hannes is passionate not only about the delicious fish on the plate but also about sustainable fishing and our oceans. Since 2017, Fisky Business has been MSC-certified – probably the world’s only food truck with that certification. In addition, he runs the Hanö Cod Reef project, where they have built artificial concrete structures and placed them on the seabed in Hanö Bay to support research on studying reefs.
– It has become quite a large project, shown as a documentary on SVT, and we’ve brought in several million in research funding.
Hannes’ great passion for fisheries is something he wants to talk more about at FFCR in Malmö – especially about restaurants’ responsibility today to offer more sustainable fish on the menu.
– I think we need to move away from farmed salmon, halibut, and cod and instead focus more on what we have in our own waters. Here we can really contribute with sustainable thinking, and if anyone can be an ambassador for that, it’s us restaurant workers.
Behind the success is also a lifestyle that rarely leaves room for rest. Hannes and Sofia live right in the heartbeat of the business.
– In our relationship, there is no “work-life balance” – everything blends together. Just yesterday we were lying in bed adding up invoices until we fell asleep.
Still, Hannes says he wouldn’t want to live any other way. Despite the stress, despite all the late nights, Hannes feels proud of the journey. He has proven to himself (and everyone else!) that you don’t need top grades in school to build something big.
– I’ve asked myself if I would want to do something else in life – but I’ve come to the conclusion that this is what I’m made to do.
And the future? It’s uncertain – just the way Hannes wants it.
– We want to feel that we can do exactly what we want. Maybe one day we’ll just sell everything and find a campsite in Norrbotten.
Whatever lies ahead, Hannes Kindeberg shows that you can go from a school-tired teenager to building your own fish empire. His journey is proof that persistence, courage, and the ability to always push forward can turn dreams into reality. And one thing is certain – Hannes Kindeberg is not afraid of new challenges. Perhaps that is exactly what makes his journey so inspiring.
By: Jessica Karlberg
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