Big Goa Energy

Offbeat experiences are changing the narrative in the sunshine state.

- Smitha Menon

If you could start afresh, where would you go? Over the past year, worn-out professionals from across India have asked themselves the same question and flocked to Goa—its sandy shores and soothing waves the answer that appeared in many pandemic-induced crystal balls.

But this isn’t a story of how Goa’s pixie dust allows us to be who we can only dream of. This is a story about how the Goan term susegad—that stands for a peaceful way of being—is being interpreted to describe work-life balance, as old and newly minted locals are using some of that Goa mojo to create exciting new ventures away from the constraints of India’s big cities.

Goa-born and bred husband-wife duo Ralph Prazeres and Stacy Gracias of Padaria Prazeres ( padaria_ prazeres), a newly launched artisanal bakery in Panjim, has Goa literally eating out of their hands. While Ralph has worked at Michelin-starred restaurants across the globe, Stacy earned her finance chops at some of the biggest banks in the world. The couple returned to Goa to start something of their own, in a market that takes its daily bread very seriously. When I visit the cheery café, I see Prazeres and Gracias smile at regulars, graciously accepting superlative compliments for their breads, Berliners and their delightful pasteis de nata.