Himanshu Gandhi arrived in Australia in 2016 as a Masters engineering student with no plans to stay in hospitality. 

He took a delivery driving job at Town & Country Pizza and Pasta as a side hustle, and a decade later he is a Town & Country Pizza and Pasta franchise owner in Lara, Victoria.

Key Takeaways

• How Himanshu went from delivery driver to franchise owner after building his entire Australian career with one brand
• Why choosing the business over buying a house paid off in two and a half years
• How he built community trust in a conservative Australian suburb through local sponsorship
• How the 4pm–9pm operating model creates greater lifestyle flexibility for a franchise owner
• What staying consistent for ten years with one brand can lead to

Himanshu has never worked for anyone else. His entire Australian career from delivery driver to kitchen hand, pizza maker, kitchen supervisor, store manager and now franchise owner has been with the same brand under the same managing director Joe Rossi.

He opens up about choosing to put his savings into the business instead of buying a house, paying off the loan in two and a half years, navigating years of visa uncertainty through COVID, winning over a conservative Australian community by sponsoring every local footy netball and soccer club he could find, and running a lifestyle friendly four to nine evening model with a team of 30. 

After navigating years of visa uncertainty and with plans for a second store, his advice is simple: stay consistent, keep showing up and the opportunity will come to you.

Episode Chapters

00:00 Welcome and guest introduction Himanshu Gandhi franchise owner Town and Country Pizza and Pasta Lara Victoria

00:37 Arriving in Australia in 2016 as a Masters engineering student and starting as a delivery driver at Town and Country Geelong Waterfront

01:21 From delivery driver to store manager: Learning every role in the business

06:14 Asking Joe Rossi if he was ready to own his own store after 10 years with the same employer

07:31 Buying an existing 13 year old store in 2023 and how visa conditions and timing aligned perfectly

07:55 Choosing to put savings into the business rather than a house and paying off the loan within two and a half years

09:47 Navigating years of visa uncertainty through COVID and the path to permanent residency

10:16 Building community trust through local sports sponsorships and the RSL

11:54 Managing a team of 30 people and how rising through every role shaped his management style

12:20 Work culture in India versus Australia and why the lifestyle model here changed everything

13:20 Operating just four to nine in the evenings six days a week and why the lifestyle model suits his family

14:38 Combining Town & Country's national marketing with local community engagement

16:01 Plans for a second store in regional Victoria within 45 to 60 minutes drive and what consistency means for the next step

17:01 Stay consistent put your focus on hard work and the opportunity will come towards you

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