DiMillo's On the Water
DiMillo's On the Water is a family-owned floating seafood restaurant in Portland, Maine's Old Port, operating since 1982 on a 206-foot vessel accommodating 600+ guests. It serves diners, tourists, wedding parties, and motor-coach groups through dine-in, banquets, seasonal classes, and merchandise.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1954
- HeadquartersPortland, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What DiMillo's On the Water does
DiMillo's On the Water is a privately held, family-owned waterfront restaurant and lounge operated from a 206-foot, 701-ton floating vessel permanently moored at 25 Long Wharf in Portland, Maine's Old Port. The business traces its origin to founder Tony DiMillo's 1954 opening of "Anthony's" on Fore Street; the floating restaurant concept launched in December 1982 and remains, per company disclosure, the only floating restaurant on the Upper East Coast. Capacity exceeds 600 guests across First Deck Dining, Port Side Lounge, Second Deck Dining Rooms, and three Outside Decks. The current operating entity is managed by third-generation family members — Steve DiMillo, Johnny DiMillo, Steve DiMillo Jr., and Beverage Director Chelsea DiMillo — with operating hours of Monday through Saturday, 12:00-9:00 PM.
The revenue model is multi-stream and centered on the restaurant's dine-in experience. Core streams include à la carte seafood dining (lobster rolls $39, haddock $35, scallops $46, filet $56), banquets priced $52-$75 per person, wedding packages at $95 per person with a $500 non-refundable deposit, motor-coach group luncheons served 12pm-4pm at all-inclusive pricing, seasonally scheduled cooking classes with Chef Melissa Bouchard ($50 per person, October–May), and an e-commerce channel of gift cards ($50/$100/$150) plus branded apparel. Customer segmentation is hybrid and explicit: families with children, tourists seeking waterfront Maine seafood, locals during the off-season, wedding couples, corporate/event hosts, and motor-coach tour operators.
Technology is light-touch: a WordPress front-end for dimillos.com handles reservations (parties of 4 or less online; larger by phone), event inquiries, and content; an integrated Biz-OS subdomain fulfills online takeout ordering. The company reports no proprietary app, no public API, no AI/ML capability, and no external funding or parent ownership. Adjacent operating subsidiaries — DiMillo's Marina (120 slips, opened 1978) and DiMillo's Yacht Sales — share the Long Wharf footprint and provide ancillary marina-revenue and brokerage verticals under common family control. Financials are not publicly disclosed.
DiMillo's On the Water firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- DiMillo's On the Water
- Legal name
- DiMillo's On The Water
- Website
- https://dimillos.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1954
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- DiMillo's On the Water is a family-owned floating seafood restaurant in Portland, Maine's Old Port, operating since 1982 on a 206-foot vessel accommodating 600+ guests. It serves diners, tourists, wedding parties, and motor-coach groups through dine-in, banquets, seasonal classes, and merchandise.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
DiMillo's On the Water industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Waterfront Dining Restaurant
- NAICS
- Marinas (71393)
- SIC
- Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Marina & Waterfront Full-Service Hotels (THAGAAAK)
Keywords
Where DiMillo's On the Water is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Portland
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
DiMillo's On the Water business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Restaurant Dining: Table service dining offering seafood, lobster, and other entrees. Revenue generated from food and beverage sales to dine-in customers.
- Special Events & Banquets: Private event hosting including weddings, rehearsal dinners, corporate events, banquets, and motor coach groups. Catering services with menu selections and function room rentals.
- Cooking Classes: Cooking classes hosted by Chef Melissa Bouchard during Locals' Season (October through May). Classes include appetizer, entree, and paired wine for $50 per person.
- Gift Cards: Digital and physical gift cards sold in denominations of $50, $100, and $150.
- Merchandise: Branded apparel including t-shirts, hoodies, caps, joggers, and trucker caps sold through the online shop.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Early Dinner Specials during Locals' Season |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Cooking Classes with Chef Melissa Bouchard |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Gift Cards |
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | Wedding Package |
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | Banquet Menu Pricing |
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | Motor Coach Luncheon Menu |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Regular Menu Items |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
DiMillo's On the Water product offering
Product offeringCore offering
DiMillo's On the Water operates a historic floating restaurant on Long Wharf in Portland's Old Port, serving award-winning Maine seafood and American fare across multiple dining rooms and outdoor decks. The business also provides banquet, wedding, and corporate event hosting, online takeout ordering, seasonal cooking classes, gift cards, and branded merchandise. The core offering is the waterfront dining experience aboard a 206-foot, 701-ton vessel that can accommodate over 600 guests.
Product overview
DiMillo's On the Water operates as a single-location floating restaurant offering multiple dining and hospitality services. The core product is the waterfront dining restaurant and lounge experience aboard a 206-foot vessel. Adjacent services include online ordering/takeout, banquet and event hosting (with topside function rooms), wedding and rehearsal services, and motor coach group luncheons. Seasonal cooking classes with the head chef provide additional revenue. The restaurant also operates a gift card program and sells branded merchandise (apparel). All services are delivered at the 25 Long Wharf, Portland, ME location, with the main restaurant accommodating over 600 guests across First Deck Dining, Port Side Lounge, Second Deck Dining, and three Outside Decks.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Waterfront Dining Restaurant & Lounge Full-service waterfront dining on a 206-foot floating vessel in Portland's Old Port, featuring award-winning seafood and panoramic harbor views. The restaurant operates Monday-Saturday 12:00-9:00 PM and accommodates over 600 guests across First Deck Dining, Port Side Lounge, Second Deck Dining, and three Outside Decks.
- Online Ordering & Takeout Online ordering allowing customers to place orders for pickup, bringing the restaurant's waterfront dining experience to-go. Powered by the Biz-OS platform.
- Banquet & Corporate Event Hosting Private event hosting in dedicated function rooms with harbor views, available for corporate events, holiday parties, and banquet occasions. Includes complimentary parking and live entertainment accommodations. Menus range from $52-$60 per person for buffets and $75 per person for lobster bake.
- Wedding & Rehearsal Services Wedding hosting with two time slot options (11am-4pm or 5pm-10pm) featuring complimentary champagne toast, cheese and crackers, wedding cake service, and black-tie service. Receptions extend up to five hours. Wedding buffet package priced at $95 per person with $500 non-refundable deposit.
- Motor Coach Luncheon Program Group dining program for motor coach tours served 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM, featuring pre-arranged luncheon menus with appetizer, entree, and dessert. Prices inclusive of tax and gratuity.
- Cooking Classes Cooking classes hosted by Head Chef Melissa Bouchard during Locals' Season (October through May), featuring appetizer and entree preparation with paired wine, priced at $50 per person.
- Gift Cards Physical and digital gift cards available in denominations of $50, $100, and $150, allowing recipients to experience the waterfront dining experience. Processing and USPS mailout take 24-48 hours.
- Branded Apparel & Merchandise Online retail of branded merchandise including Baseball Cap ($25), DiMillo's University T-Shirt ($28), Fleece Jogger ($40), Hooded Sweatshirt ($50), Lobster Logo T-Shirt ($28), Long Sleeve T-Shirt ($28), The Mothership T-Shirt ($28), Trucker Cap ($25), and Word Scramble T-Shirt ($28).
Companies that use DiMillo's On the Water
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles6 records
DiMillo's On the Water technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
DiMillo's On the Water partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators4 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights7 records
DiMillo's On the Water competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Eventide Oyster Co. Portland, Maine seafood-focused restaurant known for brown-butter lobster rolls and raw bar. Direct peer because it competes for the same Maine-seafood-driven tourist and local diners in Portland's Old Port at a similar price point.
- Portland Lobster Company: Casual waterfront lobster shack on Commercial Street serving lobsters, clams, and seafood baskets. Direct peer in Portland waterfront seafood with overlapping tourist customer base at a more casual price point.
- Fore Street Restaurant: Iconic Portland waterfront-adjacent restaurant emphasizing locally sourced Maine ingredients and wood-fired cooking. Direct peer in target market, price tier, and iconic Portland dining destination positioning.
- Scales Restaurant: Portland waterfront seafood restaurant on the Portland waterfront serving classic Maine seafood. Direct peer competing for tourist and event-driven dining in the same harbor district.
Broad incumbents
- Legal Sea Foods: Long-established national seafood restaurant chain. Comparable menu category (Maine/New England seafood) but operates broadly across multiple U.S. markets at multiple price tiers, not a destination waterfront concept.
Regional players
- The Lobster Shack at Two Lights: Iconic Maine coastal lobster shack in Cape Elizabeth, just outside Portland. Comparable as a Maine coastal seafood destination with strong tourist appeal, but serves a different (more casual) segment in a different geography.
Emerging players
- Luke's Lobster: Multi-unit Maine seafood restaurant concept sourcing directly from Maine fishermen. Comparable Maine seafood-focused offering but operating a small, distributed footprint rather than a single flagship destination.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
DiMillo's On the Water social profiles
Digital presenceDiMillo's On the Water financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
DiMillo's On the Water leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
DiMillo's On the Water subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
DiMillo's On the Water funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
DiMillo's On the Water M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about DiMillo's On the Water
What does DiMillo's On the Water do?
DiMillo's On the Water operates a historic floating restaurant on Long Wharf in Portland's Old Port, serving award-winning Maine seafood and American fare across multiple dining rooms and outdoor decks. The business also provides banquet, wedding, and corporate event hosting, online takeout ordering, seasonal cooking classes, gift cards, and branded merchandise. The core offering is the waterfront dining experience aboard a 206-foot, 701-ton vessel that can accommodate over 600 guests.
Is DiMillo's On the Water a public or private company?
DiMillo's On the Water is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was DiMillo's On the Water founded?
DiMillo's On the Water was founded in 1954. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is DiMillo's On the Water based?
DiMillo's On the Water is headquartered in Portland, United States, in the North America region.
How does DiMillo's On the Water make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Restaurant Dining is the primary driver. The others are special Events & Banquets, cooking Classes, gift Cards and merchandise.
Who are DiMillo's On the Water's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Eventide Oyster Co., Portland Lobster Company, Fore Street Restaurant and Scales Restaurant. Legal Sea Foods is listed as a broad incumbent. The Lobster Shack at Two Lights is listed as a regional player. Luke's Lobster is listed as an emerging player.
Does DiMillo's On the Water have an API?
No public API is recorded for DiMillo's On the Water.
What industry is DiMillo's On the Water in?
DiMillo's On the Water's product category is Waterfront Dining Restaurant. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAGAAAK, Marina & Waterfront Full-Service Hotels. Its NAICS code is 71393 and its SIC code is 5810.