From failed attempts to sold-out pop-ups, Karthik Shetty is turning his passion into a growing business with dreams of culinary school and entrepreneurship
While most teenagers are still figuring out what they want to do after school, 17-year-old Karthik Shetty from Goa has already started building a business of his own. Armed with a home kitchen, a makeshift table, and a passion for crafting delicious bombolones, the young entrepreneur is steadily gaining customers across Goa.
Business dream
Karthik says the idea came from his desire to do something different. Coming from a middle-class family, he knew early on that he did not want a conventional job. “At this age, you won’t get paid much. I always wanted to run my own business and be my own boss,” he says.
Market gap
The inspiration struck after he noticed young people selling food and other products on the streets through social media. Spotting what he believed was a gap in the market, he decided to experiment with bombolones, the soft Italian doughnuts that have recently become popular among youngsters.
The journey, however, was far from easy.
Recipe trials
Karthik recalls failing five times before finally perfecting the recipe on his sixth attempt. “A lot of precision goes into making the dough. You need the right amount of ingredients, proper proofing, and the perfect frying time to get that golden brown colour,” he explains.
Seven-hour process
The entire process takes nearly seven hours from start to finish. His day begins at around 7 am, when he starts preparing the dough. Mixing alone takes close to an hour, followed by proofing, cutting, shaping, and frying.
Learning curve
He learned much of the craft by observing a friend who worked at a bakery and through repeated trial and error in his home kitchen. Over time, he refined the recipe and built confidence in the product he was creating.
Fresh ingredients
What makes his bombolones stand out, he says, is the freshness. “Everything is made fresh. No chemical preservatives are added,” he says, adding that he also accepts pre-orders, bulk orders, and birthday party orders.
Small beginnings
Karthik initially started small, setting up a simple table at locations suggested by his Instagram followers. “I choose spots based on where I get the most messages and DMs,” he says.
First success
His first day in business is still fresh in his memory. Nervous and unsure, he arrived with just 10 pieces. To his surprise, everything sold out within 15 minutes.
Growing popularity
Now, Karthik regularly sells his bombolones around Panaji and is often seen outside the Goa Medical College (GMC) in the evenings around 5 pm. The response, he says, has been encouraging, with customers travelling from different parts of Goa to try his products. He also receives frequent messages online from people requesting him to visit and sell in their hometowns, something he hopes to expand into in the future.
Expansion plans
Today, he says he has even started getting inquiries from bakeries and cafés interested in stocking his products. He now plans to expand into business-to-business supply.
Social media
Social media has played a major role in helping the young baker grow. But managing orders online while preparing food is no simple task. “It’s difficult handling Instagram, replying to people, attending calls, and managing work at the same time,” he says.
Team support
As demand increased, Karthik brought in a few friends to help him. One assists in preparing the bombolones while another shoots reels and handles content creation. “I pay them for their work,” he says proudly.
Family support
Despite the growing success, Karthik says the journey has not always been supported by everyone around him. “Only my father and one other person behind the scenes motivated me a lot. Without them, I wouldn’t have come this far,” he says.
Future goals
He has already registered the business with the food and drugs authorities and hopes to continue expanding in the coming years. His long-term dream is to pursue culinary education professionally and establish a successful food business in Goa.
“I want to create something from scratch and grow it on my own,” he says.
