Mohammad Shamim lives in Melbourne. From there, he’s currently driving nearly 2,000 kilometers to Brisbane. Along the way, he’s stopping to inspect 40 Subway outlets in Canberra and Sydney. During this journey, he paused briefly in Sydney. On the morning of May 15, we met him at a café in Campbelltown, South Sydney. He was dressed simply, exuding confidence. His humility and composure stood out during our conversation.
Shamim studied Management at the University of Dhaka. After completing his bachelor’s degree, he was determined to move to Australia. In 2007, that dream came true—by then, he had also completed his master’s. He enrolled for another postgraduate degree at Deakin University in Australia, this time in Accounting and Finance. While studying in Melbourne, he began working part-time at a Subway outlet.
Subway is a multinational fast-food chain that started in 1965 as a simple sandwich shop in the United States. With the slogan “Eat Fresh, Feel Good,” it has expanded to over a hundred countries and regions. In Australia and New Zealand, Subway is now the largest quick-service restaurant brand, operated through franchisees.
At one such franchised outlet, Shamim worked as a “Sandwich Artist,” taking customer orders, wiping tables, and cleaning floors. Within a few months, he earned the trust of the owner. He shared, “One day, the owner left me in charge of the entire shop. Managing everything on my own, I realized—I can actually do this.”
That confidence led him to undergo Subway’s franchise management training. The owner he worked for had several Subway outlets. Over time, Shamim became a store manager, then an area manager, overseeing multiple locations.
A Business Built on Loans
While at Deakin, Shamim developed a close friendship with a Chinese classmate, Yanan Zhao. Their bond grew into love, and in 2009, after completing their postgrad degrees, they got married in 2010 while still building their lives in a foreign land.
In 2011, an opportunity arose—a Subway store in Grand Handley, Melbourne, was up for sale. Shamim was offered the chance to buy it. But where would he get the money? After discussing with his wife and friends, he decided to go for it. “The cost was over 300,000 Australian dollars,” he said. “I took a bank loan for 70% of it. The remaining 30% was the toughest part—I scraped it together through family support, loans from friends, and even high-interest credit cards.”
Shamim left his job to focus fully on managing his own outlet. His wife Yanan stood by his side. With debt hanging over their heads, they worked multiple roles themselves to save on staff wages. Their hard work paid off. Within eight months, they purchased a second outlet. And from there, there was no looking back. Three, four, five—his outlets kept growing.
Shamim eventually acquired 10 outlets from the same owner he had once worked for, after the owner retired.
Century in a Year
By the time the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Shamim owned 22 Subway outlets. One of them, in Goulburn, Sydney, had to shut down after several staff members tested positive. He had already planned to renovate the store. But during the lockdown, crossing state lines in Australia required special authorization, only available for emergency service vehicles.
Shamim already had a driver’s license. Determined, he learned how to drive a heavy truck and obtained a license to transport goods. “I packed up the necessary materials and drove myself to Sydney,” he said. After arriving, he oversaw the repairs and reopened the outlet with the help of local staff.
As the pandemic eased, many Subway franchisees were looking to exit the business. But Shamim, who had built a strong reputation, found banks approaching him with loan offers. He began buying up more outlets. In 2024 alone, he crossed the milestone of 100 outlets—including the acquisition of 42 locations in one go.
Today, Shamim owns 108 Subway outlets across Australia, employing more than 2,000 people, including Bangladeshi workers.
His business now generates an annual turnover of 150 million Australian dollars, equivalent to approximately 1,200 crore Bangladeshi taka. In 2023, he was awarded Franchisee of the Year by Subway for the Australia-New Zealand region.
A Vision to Invest in Bangladesh
Shamim’s roots are in Sonargaon, Narayanganj. His mother, Rahmatunnesa, was a homemaker and his father, Abdus Salam, a school teacher. He is the seventh of nine siblings. While his wife and two children are with him in Australia, his heart remains tied to his family back home. He visits Bangladesh five to six times a year.
Just last month, he joined a business delegation at an investment summit in Dhaka. He visited potential investment sites in Chattogram, Cox’s Bazar, and other locations. He dreams of integrating Bangladesh into his supply chain. “Every year, I spend around three million dollars on condiments, raw materials, uniforms, and packaging—most of which I currently source from China,” he said. “I could easily get these from Bangladesh.” Shamim has already begun discussions with local suppliers.
Three hours had passed during our conversation without us realizing it. As we prepared to leave, Shamim smiled and showed me his phone. “Did you notice? Not a single call came to my phone this entire time.”
That was surprising. For someone managing over a hundred outlets and thousands of staff, you’d expect constant calls! Before I could ask, he added, “That’s because I work in a way where I don’t need to be involved in every little thing.”
A simple smile lit up Mohammad Shamim’s face—an entrepreneur grounded in humility.
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