20 October 2025

The following content is sponsored by NAB and will appear in Inside Franchise Business.

When Mohammad Shamim arrived in Australia from Bangladesh in 2007 to study accountancy and finance, he took a part-time job at a Subway store in Melbourne’s Glen Huntly.  

It was there he prepped footlongs for hungry students between lectures – gaining his first taste of working life in Australia and also the beginnings of a future in the franchising business.

“I liked working with people,” he says. “I realised I was learning just as much in the store as I was in the classroom – maybe more.”

Within just six months, Mohammad had been promoted to store manager. Soon after, he was overseeing four locations as an area manager. By the time he graduated, he had his sights set on something bigger: owning his own store.

Mohammad and his wife took their first major step into franchising after they married in 2010. They bought the the Glen Huntley store he started in, and turned it into a high performing store that helped set them up for their next success. Fast forward to today, and their company, The Shamim Group, is the largest Subway franchisee in Australia, with 100 stores across four states and counting.

But as Mohammad is quick to point out, that kind of scale doesn’t happen by accident.

His rapid expansion over the past 15 years was the result of a deliberate growth strategy – one that saw him constantly looking ahead to the next acquisition, even as he worked to integrate the last.

Scaling up, he says, wasn’t just about ambition but execution and the discipline to take calculated risks.

Equally critical to his success was securing the right support at the right time.

He says “you’ve got to understand the business, know your numbers, and back yourself. But even then, you need people who believe in your vision.”

A growth mindset built on calculated risk

Today, The Shamim Group operates across Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland and the ACT and accounts for around 10 per cent of Subway’s entire Australian network.

“I’m a growth-oriented person,” he says. “I love to take risks, but they have to be calculated.”

Mohammadis always on the hunt for his next major opportunity. In 2023, he purchased ten stores from the mentor who first hired him in his original Subway job.  

By late 2023, he had grown his portfolio of stores to 74. Then came his biggest opportunity yet: an agreement with the Subway Franchisor to acquire and develop a further 26 stores by the end of 2024.

Mohammad was excited by the significant growth opportunity, but he also recognised the need for the right banking partner to bring it to life.

At the time, The Shamim Group was juggling facilities with multiple banks but felt the arrangements weren’t built to support a franchise business operating at this scale or speed.

“We had a clear plan,” Mohammad says. “But we needed a bank that understood our model. We needed that partner to be someone who could see the future with us, not just the present.”

The right partner at the right time

What the business needed was a banking partner who could support Mohammadto seize the opportunity.

That’s when a long-standing personal connection led to a professional breakthrough. Shah Choudhury, Senior Business Banker at NAB’s Bayside Business Centre, had known Mohammad for years and recognised the need for specialist support. He introduced the Group to NAB’s Franchise Banking team and from there the pieces fell into place. s:

Mohammad explains “I came in and said: ‘I want to buy these 26 restaurants,’” Shamim recalls. “I showed them my calculations and my strategy. They believed in me. I could see the team trusted in my vision.”

NAB’s team quickly assessed the Group’s existing operations, layered in the projected performance of the new sites, and structured a bespoke lending solution tailored to theneeds of the business. The solution allowed Mohammad to refinance his existing debt, access new funding, and complete the 100-store acquisition. It was all completed within Mohammad’s original ambitious timeframe.

A banking relationship built on understanding

What stood out for Mohammadwas NAB’s ability to align with the realities of a fast-moving franchise business.

“NAB didn’t just write a cheque,” he says. “They became integral to the business. They understood the rhythm of how we operate and built a structure that supported our growth.”

He credits the NAB team as “not just seeing us as borrowers but treating us like partners.”.

“Sometimes, you’re sitting at a table with five people, explaining your strategy, and you just need one person to believe in it. That’s what NAB did. They trusted the vision, and they helped make it real.”

“We’ve had meetings with three or four NAB specialists from different departments in the room which means we can speak directly with everyone involved and we’re not waiting days for decisions. Being able to move forward almost straight away is important. It shows real support and willingness from NAB.”

From student to employer - and role model

While Mohammad has come a long way since his sandwich-prepping days in Glen Huntly, he hasn’t forgotten where it all started. He and his wife regularly travel up and down the East Coast of Australia, meeting their store managers and ensuring they walk the floor of their stores to understand and support their performance. They also invest heavily in staff development.

In fact, Subway has even used his story in internal videos to inspire other young employees, showcasing his journey from part-time worker to the largest franchisee in the country.

“We came here as students,” he says. “We built this together. And now, hopefully, we’re showing others - especially other migrants - that if you work hard, take smart risks, and find the right people to back you, you can build something lasting.”

With 100 stores under his belt and more opportunities on the horizon, Mohammad is still focused on the next step – and he’s confident he’s got the right banking partner to achieve it.

To find out how NAB can support your franchise strategy, visit nab.com.au/franchising or speak with a NAB Franchise Business Specialist today.

 

Important Information

This article has been prepared by NAB and is intended to be of a general nature only.  It is not intended to be relied on as advice.  It has been prepared without taking into account any person’s objectives, financial situation, or needs.  Before acting on the information in this article, NAB recommends that you consider whether it is appropriate for your circumstances. NAB recommends that you seek independent legal, financial, taxation or other professional advice before acting on any information in this article.

Information correct as at August 2025.

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