Cinnamon is everywhere in Kerala. In biryani, in chai, in the back of your grandmother’s spice shelf. But somehow, no one had built a pastry brand around it. Until Cinna Rolls did.
Picture this: soft, pillowy dough rolled tight with cinnamon sugar, baked until the edges crisp just slightly, then topped with whatever you’re craving that day—Biscoff, Hazelnut Nutella, Blueberry and so on. It arrives warm, pulls apart in layers, and smells like something you didn’t know you were missing. Cinna Rolls is India’s first brand from Kerala committed entirely to cinnamon rolls, started by a Merchant Navy officer and his friend, Mohammad Bishr, a Chartered Accountant, who quit their jobs and believed Kerala was ready for a new dessert.
Behind the brand is Ameen Kalappadan, whose story doesn’t begin in a culinary institute, but it does begin with food. His father runs Prestige Huts, a restaurant in Edakkara, and growing up around that business meant food and entrepreneurship were never separate concepts.
When he joined the Merchant Navy, that relationship with food didn’t stop; it expanded. Every port, every country became an opportunity to explore. And one observation kept repeating itself across Europe, America, and the UAE: cinnamon rolls were everywhere. Not positioned as luxury items or special treats, but as something people casually picked up with their morning coffee. Simple, satisfying, ubiquitous. Much like pazhampori or unnakaya in Kerala.
What struck him wasn’t just the popularity of cinnamon rolls abroad, but their conspicuous absence in India. Cinnamon itself is deeply woven into Indian cuisine, especially in Kerala. Yet somehow, no one had built a dedicated pastry brand around it.
The idea didn’t materialise overnight. Bishr, the master crafter behind the products you see at Cinna Rolls, spent nearly two years perfecting the recipe. After finishing his office job each day, he would work from 6 PM to 2 AM, testing, tweaking, and refining every batch until he got it right. When Bishr and Ameen finally felt confident, they took their cinnamon rolls to the beach and handed them out to strangers. After two years of relentless effort, failed experiments, and mounting expenses, they returned to something both of them truly loved: the humble cinnamon roll.
As Ameen puts it, “Two years of failures led us back to the simplest thing.”
The development phase lasted eight months. They sourced cinnamon from Sri Lanka; not the hard, pungent bark commonly found in Indian markets, but a softer, more aromatic variety that offered a mild, layered flavour suitable for pastries. For Ameen, the spice had to behave differently in a dessert context. “The cinnamon had to be warm and layered, not sharp, not overpowering,” he explains. “If the core ingredient isn’t right, nothing else matters.”
The response provided clarity. Approximately 90% of those who tried it responded positively. Many had never encountered cinnamon rolls before, but that didn’t seem to matter. Around 40% expressed that they had been waiting for something like this to arrive in India. “Validation isn’t numbers,” Ameen says. “It’s watching someone take a second bite.” That validation proved sufficient. They began reaching out to established voices in Kerala’s food community for genuine critique. One such content creator sampled their product, and the response was immediate. Enquiries flooded in. Their modest ground-floor kitchen, situated below a friend’s hostel, simply couldn’t accommodate the demand.
Within weeks, they secured an agreement for a central kitchen. An outlet is scheduled to open within two weeks. They’ve already committed to a 2,700 square foot space in Hyderabad with plans to launch before mid-month. Kozhikode follows in the expansion roadmap. Everything traces back to a principle Ameen follows: focus on a single product and perfect it. “We don’t want to dilute the idea. It’s just cinnamon rolls done right.”
That’s why Cinna Rolls will remain exclusively about cinnamon rolls. Just cinnamon rolls, accompanied by a few complementary items like shakes and mini rolls. Because, as he firmly believes, “If the roll itself isn’t strong, no topping can save it.”
Their pricing strategy reflects the same careful balance. They’ve positioned Cinna Rolls in the upper-middle segment. “Not too premium to feel distant. Not too cheap to compromise,” Ameen explains. “We can only make it with the best ingredients. Quality is non-negotiable.” The product itself has been designed for versatility. It functions as breakfast, as an evening snack, as something customizable for gatherings or enjoyable alone with coffee. They’re even developing a low-sugar, low-calorie variant for health-conscious consumers. The flavour development process is entirely customer-driven. Biscoff, Hazelnut Nutella, each addition has emerged from feedback provided by repeat customers.
They envision creating a franchise model that generates sustainable business opportunities for others, one that maintains quality standards while remaining financially accessible. The next time Cinna Rolls appears in your feed, remember that it represents two people who once took a train to Goa just to taste a dessert and came back the same night for work the next morning.
So go give it a try. Pull it apart while it’s still warm. And be a part of their story!
