Meet Aman Thadani, the Gen Z powerhouse behind Ciclo Café’s operations! At just 23, he’s steering the ship with a fresh perspective, blending his passion for cycling, economics, and food.

Tell us about yourself

I joined the business a little over two years ago. My dad started Ciclo with TI Cycles, and we took it over in 2019. Dad and I love cycling; we have been doing it together for 14 years. I tried competitive cycling, but didn’t make it to nationals. Later, I went on to study Economics.I enjoy numbers, cycling, ideation, and food of course is at the heart of it all.

What about this business excites you?

The most important aspect that excited me about the food industry and hospitality is that it’s probably going to be the last field from which we will remove human interaction. The world will remove human interaction, but you still have to feed people. A computer may help us serve better, but the customer will always remain a human. It will be one of the last fields to remove the human touch. That excited me the most. I think everything else just came along with it. The fact that people are at the heart of it, whether it’s our team or our customers, it’s always going to be about people. Computers and AI are changing the way the world thinks, and they aid us, but the customer will always be there.

Let’s talk about Ciclo being India’s first cycling cafe.

The cycling cafe concept by Arun Alagappan was a great idea. The thought was that not many people would visit a bike shop, but more people would visit a cafe. The idea was to sell, retail, and service high-end bicycles. It created buzz in the cycling community. We had a great space, even in Hyderabad, the entire ground floor was just bicycles. The idea was to promote the community, spread info about what’s available and what can be done with bicycles. For example, we shared knowledge about carbon fiber bikes, which wasn’t common in India back then. We had a love for bicycles, so the idea was to bring the community together, make it a home for foodies and fitness enthusiasts. I wasn’t involved in the creation, but that’s what I have heard and seen. Dad will agree it was a good idea. Unfortunately, the partnership fell through. We still keep the community together through cycling events, hosting people, and races that start and finish at Ciclo. It’s a space for any community to come together and have a good time, be it car or bicycle enthusiasts.

Cycling has become synonymous with Ciclo. How many outlets do you have?

In Chennai, we have got four outlets. One in Annanagar, one near the race club, ECR, and one in Kotturpuram, which is our oldest store. We turned 10 in March. Pondicherry is our fifth outlet and our first extension outside of home after the partnership fell through.

How do you plan to tailor the Ciclo Cafe experience in Pondicherry to cater to the tourist crowd and local preferences?

Pondicherry is our first expansion out of Chennai. We are located in the heart of White town, which has very limited space, so it was a bit of luck. We came upon the property through a family friend who was keen we did something with the space. Finding a place in Pondicherry is tough, so it just sort of fell into place. Pondicherry’s a great tourist market, people come from Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai for weekends. I have even met people from Surat and New Delhi. It’s a great space to be. We are in a lovely 120-year-old property. We are also getting a liquor license, which will be unique for Ciclo – it will be our only outlet with a bar. Pondicherry’s known for its alcohol industry, so it was important for us to give people what they come for.

Could you tell us what makes Ciclo Pondicherry special?

There is some history to it. A few scenes in the movie ‘Life of Pi’, were shot at the property. This property was Pi’s home in the movie. The home in the movie is called Upasana. And we actually have a name plate in the front that says Upasana. This is our most recent expansion. True to what we like to believe in, our menu stays the same from Chennai to Pondy. Our menu is almost identical, maybe one or two desserts differ. And of course, the addition of the bar.

How does the heritage aspect of the property enhance the experience for guests?

I think it’s huge, because even the government’s research papers say the number one factor for a restaurant’s success is its Instagrammability. People want to take good pictures, and let’s be real, today is all about where to be seen and what looks good. This place is a different experience from Chennai, of course. Pondicherry’s all about heritage buildings and maintaining that town vibe, so we made sure to keep the heritage look and feel. There was no point creating a skyscraper here. We worked with Intach to restore the place, and they approved every detail, from the louvers to the facade. Pondicherry is known for its heritage, so it made sense to keep it cozy and heritage-like, but also comfortable. We have tried to balance heritage with convenience, so it’s not just old and inconvenient. We want it to be cozy, beautiful but also comfortable.

As a young entrepreneur, what is your approach to business?

My approach to business isn’t defined yet as I don’t have enough experience. But, since my generation is driven by instagram, dad and I navigate how things are changing. We focus on comfort food that tastes and looks good, no gimmicks like dry ice or liquid nitrogen. My take is to better the customer experience, making it more Instagrammable while staying true to good comfort food. Balancing that has been tricky, we don’t want to compromise on quality. We are running a dosa fest, which was dad’s idea, and I have contributed to changing the presentation slightly, like the prawn dosa, to make it look better. For me, HR has been a main focus, learning to deal with different people has been my biggest learning. Keeping staff happy and engaging with them differently has been key. My role is bringing the Gen Z aspect to the table, engaging better with the team and customers.

What’s your vision for Ciclo?

The big vision for Ciclo is that anybody in the property should be happy, whether it’s customers or our team. No one should leave feeling like they have not had a good day. As long as that’s happening, everything else will fall into place, whether it’s growth or expanding to more outlets. It’s like riding a bicycle, you have to move forward. The goal is to have enjoyable moments for the team and customers. Of course, I would like to see Ciclo grow across the country, it’s what we are all working towardsSo, the focus is on making sure people are happy, and I am sure we will grow if our team and customers are satisfied.