Ooni Pizza Oven: Built in a Backyard, Loved Worldwide

From hobby to heat: Kristian’s pizza passion sparked the flame

Kristian Tapaninaho wasn’t looking to be a founder. He just wanted to make great pizza. But the home ovens? Nope. Not hot enough. Not fast enough. And definitely not fun enough.

So what did he do? He turned up the heat—literally.

With help from his wife and future co-CEO, Darina Garland, Kristian took the first steps toward what would soon become Ooni, the backyard pizza oven that rocked the world.

How Kristian and Darina fired up their idea

The duo started small. Like, really small. They got a local metal welder—yes, the kind who usually makes gates to build a scrappy prototype. In 2012, they threw it up on Kickstarter.

They hoped to raise £7,500. They got over £17,000.

Big win? Yep. But then came the real work.

Darina’s “aha!” moment changed everything

Darina and Kristian were running an education business at the time. Ooni was just a side hustle. But the moment they woke up to orders that came in while they were sleeping?

Game-changer.

Darina said it best: “We made money while we slept. What have we been doing?”

From then on, they went all in.

Risky moves and shipping chaos

After Kickstarter, they scrambled to find a factory. The UK didn’t work out, so they tried Finland. It worked.

Still, the road wasn’t smooth. They juggled baby duties, education gigs, and business calls. It was messy, wild, and full of risk. But they kept going.

In 2020, just when COVID hit and orders were being canceled left and right, something unexpected happened. Online sales exploded. UK first. Then the U.S. followed.

Suddenly, Ooni was cooking.

Ooni becomes the hottest name in pizza

They went from £14 million in 2019 to £157 million today. And here’s the cool part? No private equity. Just smart moves and big dreams.

As demand soared, so did their team. They brought in talent from Breville, Dyson, and even YETI. That growth? It wasn’t luck. It was strategy.

Kristian puts it this way: “Ideas are great, but without the right people, it doesn’t matter.”

Kristian and Darina mix it up—literally

In 2025, Ooni dropped a new product: the Ooni Halo Pro Spiral Mixer. It’s made for pizza lovers, but feels like bakery-level tech. No more clunky machines. Just sleek design and smooth dough.

And yes, it works like magic.

But they’re not just innovating, they’re making Pro Tools more affordable. That’s the mission.

Darina’s advice? Protect your passion

Starting a product-based business isn’t all toppings and sunshine. There’s IP to protect, feedback to collect, and markets to understand.

Kristian says: “Figure out what makes your idea unique. Then build around that.”
Darina adds: “Don’t skip IP. It saved us more than once.”

Their biggest tip? Don’t build just for the cash. Build because you love it.

Final slice: why Ooni still matters

More than ten years later, Ooni isn’t just a product. It’s a pizza revolution. It’s family time. Backyard vibes. That perfect crust on a Tuesday night.

Kristian sums it up: “We believe people are happier when they make pizza at home.”

And with Ooni, millions now can.