5 minute read
Davide’s Pizzeria, Siolim
Who doesn't love pizza? We all do! This popular comfort food, which had its origins in 19th century Italy, has over the years made its way to different parts of the world. In Goa too, there are many popular pizzerias that serve delicious mouthwatering pizzas. One among these many popular pizza places in Goa is Davide’s Pizzeria at Siolim.
Situated just 4 kilometres away from the famous Chapora Fort, Davide's pizzeria is your place to be at if you're a die hard authentic Italian pizza fan.The pizzeria started operations in 2019 in Candolim. In the year 2021, it shifted to its present day location in Siolim.
The Founders of Davide’s Pizzeria At the helm of affairs of this popular pizza restaurant are it’s founders, Davide Cananzi and Alciela Shilla. Davide is a former hotelier with over 30 years of experience in the F&B industry. He hails from Sardinia in Italy. He has done a 3 years Hotel Management Diploma in Sardinia and has worked in various luxury hotels all over the world including Hyatt Hotels, Le Meridien, and Marriott, where he served in various positions, ranging from Chef to General Manager.
Alciela (Al) hails from the beautiful state of Meghalaya. She holds a Master’s degree in Social Work. She worked in the entertainment industry in Mumbai for a couple of years and then shifted to the hospitality sector. She is presently looking after the dessert section at Davide’s Pizzeria.
The Idea Behind Starting Starting Davide’s Pizzeria
Al says that the often disappointing meals which she and Davide had in various Italian restaurants across India was what motivated them to promote authentic Italian food. “Hence, we decided to launch Davide’s Pizzeria with the intention of bringing the flavours of our childhood memories to the customer’s plate the way our mothers have done all their lives for us,” says Al..
“Also, we wanted to break the myth that “only costly food is authentic” with a focus on high quality ingredients with a great value for money,” she adds.
The USP Of Davide’s Pizzeria Davide says that the quality of ingredients he uses in the preparation of his pizzas, starting from the base (the flour and the tomato sauce), right upto the cheese and cold cuts, makes Davide’s Pizzeria stand out from most of the other pizzerias operating in Goa. “A majority of the ingredients we use are all imported, although we do use locally sourced ingredients as well”, he says. “Also, the desserts we make are very unique - our tiramisu for instance is one where there’s absolutely no cream; so it’s light and has a perfect balance of coffee and alcohol, that one can’t stop eating with just one bite!,'' he says.
Davide and Al believe that their competition is always between themselves first. “We could say that Davide and Al are the secret weapon of our success,!” says Davide jokingly.
Types of Pizzas Offered
The style of the base of the pizzas served at Davide’ pizzeria is Roman. It is thinner and slightly crispier than the famous Neapolitan style. The pizzeria offers a large array of vegetarian and non vegetarian options to choose from.
They also serve salads, meatballs with various choices of sauce, pastas (including fresh pastas - gnocchi and spinach ravioli) and a unique and out-of-the-box thinking dessert selection.
Among the many pizzas served at Davide’s Pizzeria, there are a few which are always a hit with a majority of their customers. Among vegetarian pizzas, Pizza Davide (which was created by Davide himself, taking him about 16 years to create with the perfect balance of various flavours), and Pizza Bianca (an all-cheese pizza, topped with sun-dried tomato and arugula) are very popular with customers. When it comes to nonvegetarian pizzas, toppings such as Alka (with beef meatballs, mushrooms and gorgonzola) and the Montanara (bacon pizza) are a hit.
Public Response
Initially, just like any new restaurant, the first few months are where you get curious customers. Davide and Al faced a similar experience during the first few months after their pizza outlet started operations. But that turned into a beautiful reality very soon when the curious customers turned into regulars. “And we are talking 48% of regular customers after the first 6 months of business”, says Davide. “So, that’s what we call love and a great response”, he adds.
Challenges faced
“Challenges are part of everyday life, whether it’s a customer complaint or an ingredient not readily available” says Davide. “But we stay true to our main motto that we are not just running a food business, but are also on a mission to educate people about the authentic flavours that we grew up with”, he says.
“Another major challenge which we faced and are still facing making people understand that we are and will always be a pet friendly outlet where the furry babies are as equally important as any paying customers!”, he says.
Expansion Plans
Davide says that he plans to have only one outlet of Davide’s Pizzeria in Goa. He also shares that he is in the process of starting franchises of his pizzeria in some of the major cities in India in the next couple of months.
