Nikolaos survived an attempt on his life. Then he built an empire

In 2015, Nikolaos Solomos narrowly escaped an attempted murder when a masked gunman shot at him through his car window while he sat in the driveway of his Burnside home.

The attacker, linked to a rival gym owner with ties to the Comanchero bikie gang, had placed a tracking device under Solomos’ car.

Solomos survived the ordeal, suffering only minor injuries from the shattered glass. At the time, he owned eight gyms across Victoria. Since then, that number has grown to 27, expanding into South Australia, with the latest opening in Port Melbourne.

Derrimut 24:7 Gym owner Nikolaos Solomos inside the new Port Melbourne location.Credit: Eddie Jim

Now, he says he is on track to meet his ambitious goal of opening 300 gyms by 2030.

The Derrimut 24:7 Gym chain is one of the fastest-growing fitness brands in Victoria. While the user base is growing, Solomos is somewhat reserved when it comes to revealing membership numbers.

“Shitloads” is pretty much the only metric he is willing to offer when asked.

The gym owner is making waves with his latest opening, a sprawling new fitness hub located in Port Melbourne’s industrial precinct on Plummer Street. The 4000-square-metre space isn’t just a place to sweat; it’s a fully fledged wellness complex designed to meet every need, from intense workouts to self-care rituals like spray tans, laser hair removal, red-light therapy, and more – all under one roof. It even has a dedicated studio for competitive bodybuilders to practice and perfect their poses.

There’s debate between Solomos and his chief executive Ashley Owen, about whether the new Port Melbourne location should be dubbed Derrimut 3.0, or 4.0. Regardless, they agree that it stands out as the premier facility among all their locations.

“You can tell it’s a factory. It’s in Port Melbourne, in an industrial area, but as soon as you walk in it is a warm, zen feeling, and you forget you’ve walked into a factory,” Solomos said.

From start to finish, it took just 88 days to transform the Port Melbourne site from a “dog’s breakfast” to the fitness mecca that it is today. The day after he inquired about purchasing the site, Solomos says the then-owner took off on holiday to Mykonos.

All Derrimut 24:7 Gym locations are staffed 24 hours a day, every day of the year. Credit: Eddie Jim

Rushing to get things moving, Solomos co-ordinated the sale overseas. “Do you want a deal or not?” he asked.

“We got the deal done in seven days and from that point we just went bang.”

Traditionally located in the outer suburbs, Derrimut 24:7 Gym has made Port Melbourne its first foray into the inner city. Solomos says he and Owen quickly realised the demographic differed from the likes of other locations such as Airport West and Oakleigh, prompting the installation of their first-ever bike rack.

“You’ve got to treat each location on its own merit. We’ve learnt a lot from this, that’s for sure,” he said.

Derrimut 24:7 Gym chief executive Ashley Owen and owner Nikolaos Solomos. Credit: Eddie Jim

It’s been nearly a decade since Solomos’ life took a dramatic turn when he survived the targeted shooting outside his home.

A judge later clarified that Solomos was an innocent victim in the attack, an assertion he echoed in a police press conference, dispelling rumours of ties to organised crime.

“Something’s not right. It just doesn’t add up with my lifestyle,” Solomos said at the time.

“I’ll just put it out there that we’re not involved in organised crime, we’re not affiliated with anyone. We’re a family-owned business.”

The Port Melbourne location was transformed from an empty warehouse.Credit: Eddie Jim

While his personal life and business ventures have both made headlines, Solomos remains unfazed by outside opinions.

“It’s water off a duck’s back,” he said. “I don’t really go on social media to look at comments. It’s really not important, it’s what our internal circle thinks.”

He adds, “I actually don’t care.” And has a sharp retort for critics: “People like you are a great spectator of the sport, but you’ve never played the game. You can tell everyone how to run their business, but you don’t have one yourself.”

For Solomos, the secret to running a successful business is simple: “You need two things – big balls, and no brains.” Or, as his chief executive Owen eloquently rephrased, “An appetite to innovate.”

“As we’ve evolved, our mark is bigger is better,” Solomos said.

“It’s no secret. You go to any of our gyms, and we’re busy all the time. People come in and out non-stop, it’s like Costco.”

At 11am on a Wednesday, it’s clear that’s no exaggeration. The Port Melbourne gym has been open for less than a month and is already crawling with members. Solomos says attracting new members is the “endgame”, and with memberships priced as low as $13.95 per week, it’s not a tall task.

At Port Melbourne, a $13.95 weekly membership grants members access to all 27 locations, as well as reformer Pilates, saunas, a women-only gym, and more.

Members can grab a bite at the onsite Derrimut Nutrition Bar.Credit: Eddie Jim

So how is it so cheap? Solomos says the better question to ask is: “Why isn’t everyone else so competitive?”

“It shouldn’t be a privilege to walk into a centre like this. It should be accessible to everyone,” he said.

The original Derrimut 24:7 Gym, based in Melbourne’s north-western suburb of Derrimut, was founded in 2010. Back then, Solomos was working around the clock to keep the business afloat, unable to afford wages for employees.

Today, the franchise employs more than 800 people, and Solomos credits the selflessness of his team as the cornerstone to their success.

“We’ve got the best team in the world and I don’t say that as a cliche,” Solomos said. “Iron sharpens iron.”

“If you told me 10 years ago this is where you’d be, in Port Melbourne, I’d laugh.”

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