10 years and counting: Ciclo continues to push the pedal with its food-meets-cycling concept

For hobby cyclist Ashish Thadani, the prospect of running a café that appeals to the cycling community felt “right” when TI Cycles approached him to become a partner in Ciclo Café, over a decade ago. 

As an “impulsive decision-maker”, he jumped on to the project instinctively. Ciclo recently turned 10, growing from one outlet in Chennai to four in the city, and a new café and a B&B (bed and breakfast) outpost in Puducherry.  

“I forayed into the hospitality industry in 2013 with a French bistro L’amandier in Chennai. People from TI Cycles would frequent there. They liked the concept and approached me to set up a cycling café. That's how it all began,” says Ashish Thadani, Director at Ciclo Café. 

Thadani’s entrepreneurial journey began in 1999 with a logistics business, followed by setting up serviced apartments for Ford in Chennai in 2007. In 2012, he established a business hotel named Grey Suit on the outskirts of Chennai. This diverse work experience gave him the confidence to run a commercial space. 

Thadani was ready to take the plunge with a concept that brought together food and retail. That’s how Ciclo's first cycle-themed outlet came to life in 2015 in Kotturpuram, an upscale neighbourhood in Chennai.

“The idea was rooted in how cycling has been an integral part of our lives at some point, especially childhood. However, one doesn't pick it up in adulthood,” says Thadani. “Ciclo became a space steeped in nostalgia.”

The décor was in line with the theme of cycling—lights suspended from the ceiling incorporating wheels, photos at every nook of the café illustrating the evolution of cycles, and nuggets of information on changing technology in cycles. 

“You could just come to Ciclo, hang out with friends, eat, and be connected to your childhood passions and hobbies,” says Thadani. 

When it first opened, Ciclo Café sold international bicycle brands such as Bianchi and Mongoose, besides cycling gear and accessories. While Ciclo is no longer involved in retailing bicycles and accessories, its association with the concept of cycling continues.  

Trial and error

After Ciclo’s success in Chennai, Thadani opened outposts in Hyderabad, Gurugram and Bengaluru in 2017. But the concept didn’t take off in a big way in these cities. 

Around the same time, TI Cycles was also looking to pull out of retail, both in food and cycling. 

After TI’s exit, Thadani decided to stay on for his passion of food and cycling. It was a challenging time for him and his team to manage everything but he also learnt a few lessons along the way. 

“Operationally we figured that multi-city wasn't working for us. So, we focused our energies on Chennai. That's when the lockdown also happened. We had to piece everything together but we stayed afloat,” says Thadani. 

Thadani and his team began addressing the pain points. The biggest challenge was ensuring consistency across outlets. 

“We started centralising our bakery and kitchen, ensuring that wherever we opened a Ciclo, the food and experience seemed uniform.”

Confident of the product and the service, Thadani decided to venture outside Chennai again. Puducherry seemed to be the best bet, primarily due to its proximity to Chennai and the cosmopolitan crowd it attracts. 

Everything fell into place, including the location and the heritage property where Ciclo set up a café and a B&B. Interestingly, this space in White Town was featured in the movie Life of Pi, as Pi’s childhood home in the zoo. 

Painted in shades of teal and white, Ciclo’s outlet in Puducherry has six rooms replete with modern amenities. However, the heritage property retains its original aesthetics and character. 

Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) was involved in the restoration of the property.

Food and beyond 

Cycling continues to be a pivotal theme at the Puducherry outlet. Spread over 7,000 sq ft, the outlet has a seating capacity of 80 and is dotted with cycle-themed lights and images. 

As for the food, the menu largely comprises classics such as pastas, pizzas, burgers, meal bowls, and finger foods, among other comfort foods. It also serves trending dishes such as cookie croissants and butter chicken fries. 

“But classics are still classics, you can't beat them. We try to maintain a balance,” says Aman Thadani, Head of Operations at Ciclo in Pondicherry. 

Ciclo also does limited-time special menus for events and food festivals to test the waters. Depending on how customers respond, the team adds the dishes to the main menu. For instance, Ciclo will experiment with dishes featuring mango at the upcoming Ciclo Mango Festival. 

Breakfast is an important part of the mix at Ciclo—although in terms of revenue and viability, not too many places thrive on it, points out Thadani. 

“At the end of the day, our goal is to build a relationship with the customer, so that they can return to Ciclo for anything they like,” he adds. 

At its Puducherry outlet, Ciclo plans to move beyond its regular menu and include seafood and other local dishes. If these work, they could also be a part of the outlets across Chennai. 

After making inroads in Puducherry, what's next on the cards? 

“We want to try markets around Chennai. I am also open to giving out real estate in our outlets to cycle companies, if they approach us,” says Thadani.