From a restaurant serving tasty Goan seafood to a wedding destination that has hosted the dreams of foreign and Indian couples, Zeebop By The Sea is a restaurant that has sold Utorda beach in Goa to the world with its bites and tales.
Started in 1992 by Sergio Dias, Zeebop has, through its 32 years in existence, not only fluffed the ears of its customers with Carlos Santana tunes, but has been witness to the changing trends of tourism.
“From being a restaurant sought for its seafood, from 1995 to 2010, we became a wedding destination for people arriving by charters from England, Russia and different states of India,” recalls Dias, who has had his fingers in every pie of the industry.
“Tourism in Goa is seeing a sea change after the end of charters. We have a few charters that have started to arrive, but that has not got the industry vibrant,” feels Sergio.
With the change in tourists, though Sergio believes the quality is good, there has been a change in taste buds that is reflected in the menu.
“There was a time when I used to buy the best fish from the local fishermen. They hardly return with a good catch now,” laments Sergio, who has to visit the wholesale fish market, early every morning, to pick the best of the freshest catch.
“Indian guest like to taste Goan food, but tend to opt for Indian dishes, unlike foreign guests who devour the local concoctions that come from our kitchen. Tastes are bound to be dissimilar as are customs,” deduces Sergio.
With hardly any charters opting for Goa from 2021 to 2024, Dias thinks the shift on emphasis by hotels to weddings and conferences has left the industry with short term gains.
“During the days of charters, we had clients who used to come to stay for a minimum of two weeks and that consistency gave a different weightage to tourism. We now have customers coming for three days, and get done with it,” says Dias, who believes short stay guests hamper long term prospects.
As Dias delves into the highs and lows, a waiter passes through with a seafood platter – a specialty of the place. The smell is mushy with the odour of garlic dousing the perfume of the guests.
“Fish is the essence of my cuisine,” admits Dias.
“Crabs cooked with garlic are still favourites here, but to get crabs and other types of fish is getting to be a problem. All varieties of fish are available, but the quality is not the same as before,” confesses Sergio, whose hands have left the taste buds of many craving more.
With the monsoons having hit Kerala and the sea taking a rough swirl, Sergio thinks two hands are needed to get tourism back to better times.
“It will be nice if the government, when organising international fairs abroad, ropes in the other stakeholders,” he says.
“By inviting local tour operators, not just to make numbers, but for their inputs, will go a long way in deciding the trajectory of the industry in the future. There needs to be a change, and fast,” reasons Sergio for whom his restaurant will always be open to tailor the culinary and social needs of clients from all over.
As the rain clouds darkening the sky, the song at Zeebop shifts to ‘Don’t take her for granted, she’s had a hard time’.
And, Zeebop is the place to forget time and just enjoy the moment.