19-year-old Frayne Fernandes is serving up delectable pizzas out of his cloud kitchen based
in Varca
CHRISTINE MACHADO | NT BUZZ
Frayne Fernandes has always enjoyed experimenting with different types of food. In fact, his earliest experiments were with the simple act of frying an egg. “I used to combine it with different ingredients,” he recalls. Gradually he moved on to trying out more dishes.
But pizza making only began during the pandemic and was met with a good response. “I had wanted to start my own business for a very long time. One fine day, last year, while brainstorming ideas with my brother, he suggested that I should sell pizzas. We did a little bit of research, planned the whole thing out, and trusted the idea,” he shares.
It took Fernandes more than six months to learn the art of making pizzas. “The most important part, of course, was the dough, which was also the most difficult. I learned a lot about different types of pizzas and decided on making Neapolitan-style pizzas, which is not very common. I tried different recipes and ingredients, and the most important tool was a stone oven,” he says.
After months of research and development, and some procrastination owing to self-doubt, Fernandes finally took the big step and began Pazzo in April 2025. “The name ‘Pazzo’ literally translates to ‘crazy.’ Besides going well with the word pizza, it had great meaning for our business because it all started with a crazy idea of making good-quality pizzas from a home kitchen,” says Fernandes.
One of his most popular menu options is a vodka sauce infused pizza in chicken and mushroom options. “I knew about vodka sauce on pizzas for a long time but never found any place that served it, so I decided that I had to add it to my menu. It just happened to go well with chicken, and today it is one of our most highly sought-after dishes,”
he says.
Also on the menu are the Goan Chorizo, The Meat Magnifico, and the Pepperoni Classico. “We use pepperoni imported straight from Italy, and our special touch is, in-house-made chili oil,” says Fernandes.
In the vegetarian pizzas, there is also the Classic Margherita pizza that is done with their special basil oil. Besides the pizzas, Fernandes also has a tiramisu dessert option. “I have planned a new menu with a few additions that will be dropping soon,” says Fernandes.
Pazzo, he says, has taught him a lot in terms of making better pizzas and in running a business. “Not every day is a good day, but you have to put in the same amount of effort from day one, and failures eventually lead to success,” says the youngster. As he is currently also studying at the Institute of Hotel Management in Porvorim, the cloud kitchen currently operates only on weekends thus allowing him to balance both academics and his business.
“A few challenges I face include not being able to be efficient in making pizzas due to a smaller oven, which is why I take pre-orders so that everyone can have a seamless experience. A lot of times, people do not pre-order, which is challenging. However, I still try to keep up and, if there’s a chance, adjust so that everyone gets an opportunity,” he says, adding that eventually he plans to scale up Pazzo and become an entrepreneur in the F&B business. “I want to add things to the menus that no one has ever heard about so that everyone can experience global flavours and different types
of food.”
