Charalambos N. Tsimas (best known as Mr. Bambis), owner of the original Bambis Supermarket passed away aged 90 on January 14th in Athens, Greece. In 1931, aged 20 he arrived in Addis Ababa after finishing college. Other family members were already well established in Ethiopia since 1884. Following his arrival, Bambis gained experience and an interest in the grocery business while working with his uncle for 5 years. By 1958, after a loan of 20,000 Br, he was able to establish his first small grocery store and then two years later he went on to purchase 2,000 sqm of land and established Bambis Supermarket. Bambis initially catered to the foreigners residing in Addis providing specialty goods from their home countries. Bambis supermarket became popular very quickly with regular patrons but the supermarket became nationalized during the Derg era. However, not to be deterred, Mr. Bambis was able to buy it back at auction following the downfall of the Derg.
Mr. Bambis donated generously to various local charities over the years and was alleged to have said “If you open my heart, you will see that I am Ethiopian”. He loved his work and until frailty took over when his daughters and wife took over running the supermarket, he could be seen almost daily at Bambis.
Mr Bambis is survived by his wife Eleni and four children Pinelopi, Evangelia, Olga and Paraskevi.