MYOLA JOANES
myola@herald-goa.com
MARGAO: Sitting at their cozy little shop in New Market, Vinod, 59, and Rita Gajera, 58, welcome each passerby with warm smiles and a cheery, “Hi, good morning! Would you like something today?” Their shop is filled with an array of traditional Goan baked goodies—bebinca, batk, dodol, pinagr, doce, gons, khari, nankatai, alongside an assortment of Goan biscuits and cakes like banana, ribbon, marble, carrot, and other tea cakes.
Vinod moved to Goa at the tender age of seven to help his grandfather, who had set up a bakery in Malbhat, Margao, back in 1950. Young Vinod split his time between helping his uncle with the bakery during the day and attending night classes at Loyola High School. After marrying Rita,
she quickly embraced the family trade. When Vinod’s uncle passed away, the couple took over the reins of the bakery, officially opening their shop in 1989.
Running a full-fledged bakery wasn’t sustainable with two young children to raise, so Vinod thought up a new plan. The couple turned to local bakers, asking them to supply their best Goan baked goods. It was a win-win. “We test everything for quality, but our main focus is on helping those with little support. We push their items more, so it’s a way to give back to this loving community the best way we can,” Rita explains with a smile.
Vinod, reflecting on the years gone by, shares, “We’ve had customers coming to us for 40 years now. It’s amazing—I’ve watched kids grow up, and I still recognise them. These familiar faces keep us going.”
Their day starts early. “We wake up at 5 am, prepping for the shop. All our baked goods are supplied loose, so we measure, sort, and package it ourselves. It’s easier to sell that way, keeps everything hygienic, and helps avoid spoilage—otherwise, all the supplier’s hard work and money would go to waste,” says Rita, as she carefully lays out the morning routine.
After the prep work and tending to household chores—including looking after their 15-year-old dog, who still demands plenty of their attention—they head to the shop, opening the doors at 8 am and closing up by 8 pm. It’s a cycle they’ve perfected over the years, and one they’ll continue, as Rita chuckles, “for as long as we live, because this is what we know.” The beaming couple may not have a roaring business, but say they have
done well for themselves, given both their children a good education, enabling them to find work abroad.
Their shop, sitting right in the heart of the bustling, maze-like market, is a hub of community spirit. Vinod speaks warmly of his fellow vendors, “The vendors here have always been helpful and kind. They welcomed us as one of their own. That sense
of community hasn’t changed since I was
a boy.”
In the end, the formula is simple: keep the suppliers happy, the customers satisfied, and find joy in your work. “That’s the motto we live by,” they say.