Sydney Fish Market is known nationwide as a supplier of fresh, seasonal seafood, but there’s one name that stands out from the crowd.
De Costi Seafoods has been trading there for decades, and is a brand now synonymous with the Pyrmont fish trade.
Antonio Muollo is the next De Costi generation to step into the family fish-mongering business.
“Fish has been my whole life,” Antonio Muollo told SBS.
“I’ve been working here since I was 11 or 12 years old.”
But far from preserving traditions at the Sydney institution, Antonio has set up a new business based on fresh ideas of his own.
GetFish is an online ordering service from De Costi, connecting customers outside driving range of the bustling seafood bazaar.
GetFish delivers fresh seafood straight out of the Sydney Fish Markets. Source: Supplied
Antonio took out a business loan and is already seeing the benefits of his business.
“At the moment there is very high demand,” Antonio told SBS.
“It’s hard to get to Sydney Fish Markets and if you live out west we can deliver straight to your door.”
The bright 18-year-old business student devised the concept three years ago while working weekends at the dock.
But turning his dream into a reality means managing a tough timetable, starting at the office at 5:30am, printing and packing orders and sending them on their way to customers.
“At the moment I have eight people working for us, the drivers go out two times a day."
“We’re actually doubling orders week on week,” Antonio said.
Antonio is now fast-tracking plans for an app to improve the GetFish service.
Customers can place orders online through the GetFish platform. Source: Supplied
“As long as you believe in your model and you’re strong and have hard work and dedication, it will all work,” Antonio said.
The entrepreneur is already eyeing expansion opportunities, hoping to grow Australia-wide over the next two years.
His advice for other teenage business moguls in the competitive tech sector?
“Be patient, always have a positive attitude and always look forward because it’s always hard at the start but it gets better in the end!”
