Morley man’s UFO Burger at Coventry Markets and Simon Says charity raising funds for those in need

Morley business owner and chef Simon Mohiuddin is on a mission to change the world.

The 43-year-old’s story of goodwill and grass-roots philanthropy is so remarkable, it’s almost unbelievable.

And that’s before you hear about how he got here.

Running UFO Burger in Morley’s Coventry Markets, the man everyone calls Simon has been giving back to the community a dollar at a time — or more specifically, 30 cents.

For every dollar he flips through his out-of-this-world burgers and curries, Simon donates 30 cents to vulnerable members of the community — including the terminally ill, single parents, pensioners, and indigenous Australians.

Since 2019, he has donated a staggering $300,000 of his own net profit through such personal endeavours. Hold the mayo.

Simon has zero marketing budget and still manages to keep the business going, even when customer numbers seem down.

Fittingly, he manages his local charity Simon Says concurrently to supercharge his efforts, where he recruits other local organisations to foster an environment built on generosity and advancing the community as a whole.

A rising tide lifts all boats.

But why does he do it?

“It makes me happy and I want to set an example for the human race,” he said.

Born in Bangladesh, Simon’s journey to Perth has seen him live and work in 47 countries, volunteer in war camps, and give up a career as a Chartered Accountant to focus on helping others in a more tangible way.

If that wasn’t enough, a knock on heaven’s door came with the realisation he had a higher purpose on Earth.

“I was clinically dead for more than 20 minutes, the doctor was calling my family,” he revealed of a past health scare.

With a Christmas birthday, “you can call me half Jesus”, he joked.

Simon said with 2.4 million small businesses operating in Australia, “if each just gave 1% of their earnings”, imagine the combined difference they’d make.

“My dream is to bring small businesses together,” he said.

With Australia’s middle class being pushed to make ends meet, he believes there’s little left over for extra-curricular activities — forcing kids into extended screen time.

Through Simon Says, the selfless local has recruited community soldiers to build footy teams, provide free maths tutoring, and delivered countless free meals — just a taste of his army’s combined efforts.

Recent organisations he’s worked with include Orana House, RUWA, and Centacare Employment, where the multiplier effect of “paying it forward” spreads far and wide.

The reward — a smile where there wasn’t one before.

“In the last four years I have heard the story of over 50,000 humans in Perth,” he said.

Changing the world around us is simple, he believes.

“If we small businesses unite and simply do things for our own local community for our future generations, I believe we can set an example for the whole country.”

For more information or to get involved, visit the Simon Says Facebook page.