The Colicci family business began in the eighties with a single ice cream van. Over three decades later they are an established brand with 35 London outlets including cafés, restaurants and coffee trucks. The Colicci family business is booming.
Managing Director Rob Colicci has made it his mission to expand and update the brand for the 21st Century and enlisted the help of top architect Jonathan Mizzi. One of their first projects was the copper-roofed kiosk at Westfield Stratford, which took the Restaurant and Bar Design Award in 2017. “I am a huge fan of design and wanted to pioneer a next generation café for The Royal Parks. Westfield was essentially our prototype, and was very well received,” Rob says, adding, “Now you can buy your coffee from a work of art!”
DARING DESIGN
So far, 2019 has seen the launch of the Mizzi designed Serpentine Coffee House with its distinctive roof shaped like a stingray, and the shortlisting of the Colicci Ritz Corner kiosk in Green Park for not one, but two awards. The flowing design of Ritz Corner is thanks to being clad in steam-bent wood. To do the job, Rob took an unorthodox approach and picked furniture and lighting designer, Tom Raffield. “All our design is free flowing, there are no angles; it’s curved and in-keeping with nature. The cladding is so unique and requires real craftsmanship, which is why we chose Tom and his distinctive style,” Rob explains.
CAFÉ CULTURE
This autumn, the Colicci's launch a brass-clad kiosk in St James’s Park and add the Lido in Hyde Park to their collection of restaurants, which includes the Dulwich Clock Café in Dulwich Park and The Round in Peckham Rye. They are also opening their first health-focused café at Storey’s Gate, a stone’s throw from Buckingham Palace. Geared towards vegan and vegetarian food, this café is housed in a period building with a rich history.
“Storey’s Gate is a former police station and further back it was home to Edward Storey, Keeper of the King’s Birds, who would tend the aviaries on Birdcage Walk. We have used birds as inspiration for the interior, other touch points are from the building’s period as a police lodge and we’ve commissioned my wife Scarlett, founder of Project on Walls, to curate the artwork.”
It is hard to believe that the Colicci empire started with a single ice cream van. Matriarch Josephine recalls, “My parents were in ice cream – they are from Italy but I was born and brought up here. I used to work with them at weekends and, in 1982, I met Ernie Colicci. We started the business together with one van. We went to events and were popular, so we expanded.”
Ernie and Josephine married and had two children. Initially Rob didn’t plan on joining the family firm, as he explains, “I scooped my first ice cream when I was 12 and was still doing it in university summer holidays so, when I graduated, it was the last thing in the world that I wanted to do. I worked for a bank, a charity and set up my own business. It was all part of the journey towards working for mum and dad and, when I was 26, it felt like the right time.”
CREAM OF THE CROP
To accompany the beverages, pastries and cakes are made daily in the Colicci bakery which is situated at The Pheasantry restaurant in Bushy Park, while delicious salads and wraps are produced in their Hyde Park and Kensington kitchens. “The wraps are a crowd pleaser” says Rob, “They are Italian piadina bread made from semolina flour and customers rave about them.” “I love the crushed avocado on sourdough with bacon,” Josephine interjects, adding with a laugh, “I really like testing the product!” 
CREATIVE SOLUTIONSIn addition to choosing what’s on the menu, every caterer has to consider their environmental impact. “I am super proud of the work we do,” says Rob. “We chose our water supplier Belu because their plastic bottles are made from 50% recycled plastic and we are installing our first refill tap at the Lido restaurant. We’ve been working for over a year with a company called Smart Planet which has created a coffee cup that breaks up so that it doesn’t clog conventional waste streams.” No doubt the imminent arrival of his first born makes Rob even more determined to protect the environment for the next generation. It’s too early to tell who will take the Colicci helm in future years but, one thing is for sure, this family is building a legacy to be proud of.  Rob Colicci's LondonBest place in London for a romantic date?The first date I had with Scarlett, I took her home on my Vespa; I lived in Angel and she lived in Richmond so it was a long ride. It was evening and London was really quiet; we rode all the way down the Embankment and it felt idyllic. I have driven that road thousands of times, but all the sights and all the lights seemed so beautiful that evening. What do you miss most about London when you are away?My dog Betty and the central London buzz. There’s nowhere else on earth quite like it! London's best kept secret is...The Chelsea Physic Garden, which is off the Embankment. It is a mini oasis that few know about and it has a lovely café. Who is on your radar?A new brand called Market Halls. It’s a new way of socialising and dining, where you can choose from pizza, chicken burgers, steak, sushi – great food that’s all under one roof in cool old buildings. They’ve opened in Fulham and Victoria and are opening on Oxford Street. My wife’s business Projects on Walls. Scarlett is working on a range of fantastic projects for recognisable hotels, developments and residential properties. She also works with cafés and restaurants, including the Colicci sites. |
