A marketing professional turned restaurateur, Aditya Tibrewala, is setting the bars high in the industry with his venture BUONO Pizzeria – a pizzeria which specialises in authentic hand-tossed Neapolitan style pizzas, based in Alibaug. With an impressive list of celebrity clients, influencers and high-profile individuals who absolutely love the food they serve, Aditya aims to develop Alibaug as a location with specialises in great food and food-based experiences.
Venturing towards his vision to ensure that the development of Alibaug and the protection of its ecology and green cover happen side by side and one does not overpower the other, he wishes Alibaug to develop a unique personality of its own. Stepping into a new field is one of the most challenging transitions an individual can experience in their career, but when you are passionate about something and are willing to put in the hard work, nothing is impossible and that is what Aditya Tibrewala has proven with BUONO Pizzeria.
Storiyaan has a chance to catch up with this entrepreneur and he agreed to spill the beans of his story.
We aim to give our guests the best pizza experience outside of Italy
Interview
Questions and answers
First of all, it is a pleasure to be having this interview with you. Could you tell us what was the most difficult part of shifting from being a marketing professional to a restaurateur?
The hardest parts of the shift were two things; the first was the effort that I had to put in to completely educate myself on an industry in which I had no experience. The second part was the fear of jumping into an industry and location in which I have no experience. I was investing my life savings into this venture and hence, though there was confidence, there was also an underlying feeling of fear.
BUONO specializes i.e., hand-tossed Neapolitan-style pizza. How do you ensure that you stick to authenticity?
We had an Italian chef who flew down and spent a week with the staff and taught us everything about making an authentic Neapolitan pizza. We are simply sticking to his training.
Having come from a non-culinary background, what was the greatest challenge that you had to overcome to set up your restaurant?
I had to look for all the answers myself. I didn’t have any friends or family in this industry either, so there was no one who could handhold me. I had to google for everything.
What turned out to be one of the best decisions that helped you augment your business?
There were actually a lot of small decisions that ended up coming together, augmenting my business. We were one of the first restaurants to open in Alibaug which gave us a very strong first-mover advantage. The physical location of the restaurant is superb and right in the middle of all our clientele, which helped our business get good visibility. We also managed to get really good staff who have stuck around since the beginning. Having an honest, hard-working and supportive team is very important in order to grow.
Tell us a bit about the competition in the field and how good an opportunity is it to get into the business right now for a newcomer.
We have essentially become a case study in Alibaug. People have observed us and wondered if there could be space for another such restaurant to come up. Many of the older, existing restaurants have felt the competition from us and have had to up their game in order to compete with us. There is always a market for a newcomer, but their challenges would be very different from ours. The newcomer needs to identify a niche and work a way to exploit it better.
What led to the passion for turning Alibaug into the hub for specialized food experiences and ecology? Is there a special connection to the town?
My wife and I have always dreamed of reverse migrating out of the city and having a more relaxed, slow, rural life. Alibaug allowed for that with the proximity to Mumbai, giving us the best of both worlds. Alibaug as a location has become the chosen destination for second homes. Almost every famous businessman, professional, film celebrity, sportsperson etc., has a house here in Alibaug and hence it looked like a great place to set up an authentic Italian restaurant.
Could you share with our readers how your interest in Astronomy was first piqued?
I was always fascinated with the sky above as a kid and have often spent hours watching videos on YouTube about planets and stars far beyond. I eventually got gifted a telescope on my birthday and now instead of spending hours in front of YouTube, I prefer doing that on my terrace.
Deep sea diving is probably one thing that has been on everyone’s bucket list. Tell us about some things one ought to know when trying it for the first time.
Essentially one needs to first understand the basics of swimming and needs to complete the foundation course which can be done with a trainer at any swimming pool. Once complete, you need to start taking your PADI course on any beach destination and as you become better, you get to dive deeper.
When you first announced your decision of starting your own restaurant, what were some of the feedback that had a major impact on you?
My family, and especially my father’s support, is what gave me the confidence to go ahead. My father is a bit of a sceptic and I was prepared to have to convince him hard to undertake this. Surprisingly, he was one of the first to agree and was ready with a cheque to invest. However, many of my office colleagues, friends, and family were not so sure about my decision. Their scepticism was not completely unfounded but I am glad that I could prove them otherwise.
Tell us about your mantra that helps you stay motivated throughout the day.
Do everything differently. Nobody wants cookie-cutter stuff. Whenever I was presented with a decision, I thought to myself about how I could do things differently and help stand out. Many people won’t understand it, and many would coax you to do things like everyone else, but as long as you are convinced of yourself, never listen to others.
Rapid Fire
- One must-try dessert from your restaurant
The cheesecake and the tiramisu are mind-blowing!
2. One factor to determine good pizza
The texture of the dough needs to be good at least 30 mins after the pizza is out of the oven
3. Your favourite destination for deep-sea diving?
Not done it yet but would love to go to Lakshadweep
4. One car you wish you possessed
Mercedes G-Wagen AMG
5. One pet peeve against the industry
Old uncles who believe they know everything but their methods are not relevant today