For Nidhi Thadani, entrepreneurship has never been about chasing a single idea- it has been about delivering a standout experience that the client will always remember.
“For me, the experience comes first. If you don’t know how you want people to feel, the concept can become generic very quickly,” she explains.
For her, curated dining and travel experiences are more than just buzzwords; they are anchored to the success of the sector.
“I don’t believe hospitality lives only in grand gestures. It often lives in the things people cannot always describe but definitely feel.
Staying connected to the ground keeps your instincts sharp and your standards honest,” she adds.
Nidhi started as a logistics executive for Ford India. There was no glamour attached to the job, and she had been working with stressed out truck drivers in a highly demanding operational environment.
“Logistics was not something I knew when I began. My academic background was in hospitality management at IHM Mumbai, and I had always imagined myself in a more people-facing, experience-driven world,” she explains.
“Humility was not optional in that environment. It was the entry requirement.
Hospitality was always the dream, but it did not arrive through a fixed plan. It evolved naturally, built on the discipline those early years gave me,” she says.
These traits have been the experience that would later become foundational as she moved to Chennai and co-founded Tiam Foods.
Reinvention through every venture
As she went about building her hospitality portfolio, she has been careful of meeting the unique requirements of each format.
“L’amandier was built around the experience I wanted to bring to the city – a true bistro culture at a time when there were few places offering flexible menus, daily specials, leisurely breakfasts, and neighbourhood warmth.
With Ciclo Café, the idea became broader: comfort, community, and a space people could return to through the day. People may come for food or coffee, but they return for how a place makes them feel.,” she explains.
Lessons from failure
But not all projects have worked as she expected. Her NOT A BOX project, which she built with her friend and partner Anjali Sacheti, did not work the way she had expected.
“NOT A BOX was a passion project built with my friend and partner, Anjali Sacheti. It came from wanting to create a more imaginative and open-ended space for children – one that encouraged creativity, movement, and curiosity.
Designing for children is very different because they respond honestly. If something doesn’t engage them, they move on immediately. That journey taught me that the best experiences are often the simplest ones.
Although it had to close during COVID, it remains one of the most meaningful projects we built,” she explains.
Creating spaces people return to
For Nidhi, the challenge was to create a vibe that people look forward to experience. And that has meant fostering connections that offer people a reason to come back.
“There was always an intention to create more than just a place to eat. We sponsored a cycling team, hosted community events, and created reasons for people to gather beyond a meal – and that was part of the idea from the very beginning, not something that arrived later.
Over time, people made the space their own — for meetings, friendships, celebrations, and everyday catch-ups. Community was the brief we set ourselves at the start. Watching it actually take root was something else entirely,” she says.
Rethinking travel with intention
Beyond hospitality, Nidhi’s latest venture, Beyond Bucket Lists, helps create curated travel experiences. Rather than packing everything in one itinerary, the brand advocates for a radical approach towards travel, offering slow, more intentional journeys.
“Many travellers are already fatigued by rushed itineraries where they return needing another holiday.
With Beyond Bucket Lists, the idea is to make travel more intentional. Instead of asking how much you can cover, we ask what kind of experience you want to have – culture, wellness, food, beauty, nature, or simply rest.
When travel feels easier, deeper, and more personal, people naturally respond to it,” she explains.
The next evolution of hospitality
Along with this, Nidhi is also working with her friend Chef Ajit Bangera for her latest venture, Firo. Through this Chennai restaurant, Nidhi is looking at creating a unique experience with food for its patrons.
“Firo feels like a natural evolution of everything I’ve learned in hospitality over the years. But the opportunity was specific – Chennai was ready for a dining experience that was refined without being stiff, layered in its food thinking without being intimidating. That gap felt real and worth building toward.
Chef Ajit Bangera has been a dear friend for many years, and when he found time after an exceptional tenure with ITC, he chose to join hands with us.
The response so far has been very encouraging – and more than anything, it feels like the right thing built at the right time,”
Endurance over excitement
For Nidhi, the journey as an entrepreneur has been more about clarity than resilience, as growth and success don’t necessarily go hand in hand.
“Something can look successful from the outside and still not be sustainable underneath.Timing matters, partnerships matter, and clarity matters. Not every opportunity deserves a yes, and not every setback deserves panic,” she concludes.
<p>The post How Tiam Foods’ Nidhi Thadani is redefining hospitality through curated experiences first appeared on Hello Entrepreneurs.</p>
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