What Cicerello’s does

Cicerello's is a privately held, family-owned seafood restaurant business operating two physical locations in Western Australia: the flagship at Fremantle Fishing Boat Harbour (44 Mews Road) and a second site on the Mandurah foreshore (Unit 2/73 Mandurah Terrace). Founded in 1903 by Italian immigrant Salvatore Cicerello, a pioneer of the Abrolhos Islands crayfishing movement, the business is now in its third generation of operation under the Unmack family, who purchased it in 1996 and opened the Mandurah location in 2001. The company employs 29 staff and operates 364 days per year, closing only on Christmas Day.

The core offering is traditional fish and chips plus a broader seafood menu (lobster, crab, prawns, abalone, grilled local fish hand-cut onsite), with the Mandurah site adding a cafe layer (breakfast, coffee, homemade ice cream, waffles, desserts). The franchise's economic differentiator is its unique dining-with-aquarium experience: WA's largest private free aquariums (11 tanks, 80,000 litres, 150+ marine species) accessible to dine-in customers at no extra charge. Ancillary revenue streams include Marine Education Tours for school groups (A$10.65+ per student, groups of 10-40), Little Critters birthday parties (minimum 15 children, weekends), group catering (10-200 people), and annual community events such as Australia's Biggest Fish & Chips and the WA Day Festival.

The business model is direct-to-consumer, walk-in only with no reservation policy at Mandurah, monetized predominantly through per-cover food and beverage sales. GTM is anchored on heritage brand strength, tourism foot traffic at Fremantle, and community partnerships with local venues (Bathers Beach House, Twin-Fin) and organizations (Be Fremantle, South Fremantle Football Club). Marketing is primarily through the Squarespace website, in-venue events, and community sponsorship. No proprietary technology platform, mobile app, or digital ordering system is disclosed.

Name

Cicerello’s

Legal name

Cicerello's

Website

https://cicerellos.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1903

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Cicerello's is a family-owned seafood restaurant business operating two locations in Western Australia (Fremantle Fishing Boat Harbour and Mandurah foreshore), serving traditional fish and chips, premium seafood, and marine-aquarium dining experiences to tourists, families, and school groups.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Casual Seafood Restaurant

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Retail-Eating Places (5812)

akta.pro primary industry

Seafood Fast Casual (THAFABAJ)

Keywords

• Seafood restaurant
• Fish and chips
• Marine aquarium dining
• School excursion programs
• Kids birthday parties

Headquarters

HQ city

Fremantle

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Food and Beverage Sales: Core revenue from dine-in and takeaway meals including traditional fish 'n' chips, grilled seafood, premium options (lobster, crab, prawns, abalone), breakfast menu, coffee, cake, ice cream, waffles and specialty desserts.
2. School Excursion Programs: Marine education tours for school groups including interactive marine presentations and beach combing sessions. Catering packages for school groups also available.
3. Kids Birthday Parties: Little Critters birthday party packages including interactive marine activity, lunch, juice and lolly bag for groups of 15+ children.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Cicerello's operates traditional Australian seafood restaurants at two Western Australian locations (Fremantle Fishing Boat Harbour and Mandurah foreshore), serving fresh hand-cut fish and chips, grilled seafood platters (lobster, crab, prawns, abalone), and a cafe menu with breakfast, coffee and desserts. The restaurants are differentiated by WA's largest private free aquariums (11 tanks, 80,000 litres, 150+ marine species) and supplementary offerings including marine education school excursions and Little Critters children's birthday parties.

Product overview

Cicerello's is a traditional Australian fish and chips restaurant business operating two locations in Western Australia (Fremantle and Mandurah). The core product offering consists of traditional fish and chips, seafood platters, and grilled seafood. The Fremantle location serves as the flagship with its famous private aquariums, while the Mandurah location includes a cafe with breakfast, coffee, and desserts. The business differentiates through unique dining experiences including marine education tours for schools, children's birthday parties, and regular community events. The company positions itself as a heritage brand founded in 1903, emphasizing its fishing pioneer roots and family ownership.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Open 364 days per year
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Bathers Beach HouseminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal beachside venue partner listed on Cicerello's community partners page. Cross-promotional relationship with another Fremantle hospitality venue.
• Twin-FinminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal hospitality partner listed on Cicerello's community partners page. Partnership supports local Fremantle business community.
• Be FremantleminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal business organization partner supporting the Fremantle community. Listed as a community partner on Cicerello's website.
• SFFC (South Fremantle Football Club)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal sports club partner included in Cicerello's community partners section, supporting local community initiatives.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Kailis Fish Market Cafe: WA seafood destination combining a fish market and casual dining at Leighton Beach. Closely comparable to Cicerello's on seafood-driven menu, WA tourism-precinct positioning, and dual market/dining model.
• The Lobster Shack: Seafood destination in Cervantes, WA, specialising in lobster and local seafood for tourist and drive-market visitors. Comparable to Cicerello's Fremantle on WA-based seafood destination dining.
• Doyle's on the Wharf: Heritage seafood restaurant located at a Sydney fishing wharf (Mosman), with multiple generations of family operation. Closely comparable to Cicerello's on heritage seafood restaurant at a fishing wharf, family ownership, and tourist destination positioning.
• Fishbone Bar & Grill: Perth-based seafood-focused casual dining chain offering fish, shellfish, and steaks. Comparable to Cicerello's on WA-based seafood casual dining experience and menu style.

Broad incumbents

• Hog's Breath Cafe: Established Australian casual dining chain offering a broad menu including seafood. Comparable to Cicerello's as a broader casual dining operator with multiple Australian locations and family-friendly positioning.
• The Boathouse Group: Australian waterfront hospitality group operating multiple casual dining venues. Comparable to Cicerello's on waterfront/tourism-precinct casual dining model with multiple sites across Australia.

Regional players

• Sydney Fish Market: Major Sydney seafood retail and dining destination. Comparable to Cicerello's Fremantle as a high-footfall seafood destination combining retail and dining, though based in a different geography (NSW vs WA).

Others

• Little Creatures Brewery: Hospitality venue located in Fremantle and listed as a Cicerello's community partner. Comparable as an adjacent Fremantle hospitality operator competing for the same tourist footfall and partnership ecosystem.
• Bathers Beach House: Fremantle beachside hospitality venue listed as a Cicerello's community partner. Comparable as an adjacent Fremantle hospitality operator serving tourists in the same precinct.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cicerello’s