Chaz Mitchell is the manager of the Subway sandwich shop in West Lebanon where he oversees nine employees, makes sandwiches and, occasionally, stands at the roadside in a sandwich costume to attract customers. He lives in Enfield with his girlfriend Amanda Waldron and their 1-year-old son, Alexander. The following is an edited interview.

I was having a good time that summer. For someone that wanted to be a doctor, I guess I never paid attention in anatomy class because, hey, it happened. I was scared at first and so was she. I always wanted to be a dad and to have a family. But I didn’t want it right away.

As soon as I knew she was pregnant, my whole life changed. I had been accepted to university on a scholarship but as soon as she told me it was like, “time to get a real job. I have to get money, I have to provide for them.” I easily could have gone to college anyway and said, “See you later, bye-bye.” But I couldn’t do it.

I had a hard time getting a job because I was young and inexperienced. I tried doing third shift at Lowe’s in Tilton but they paid me nothing. Here, they start you off at nine bucks an hour, so I decided to give it a shot.

The sandwich suit was here when I started; it’s been here forever. I got it dry cleaned so it doesn’t smell or anything like that. It’s hot, but it’s kind of fun. I’m pretty outgoing anyway, but having the suit on lets you loosen up a bit. I always see the Jiffy Lube guy out there waving, but he’s not in any kind of costume like this.

Last year, I had a couple of guys from Peru that were really soft-spoken, but when they’d get out there, they’d be disco dancing. When you get in that suit you’re able to put that mask on and be somebody different.

This isn’t permanent, I hope. I like hard work. I like to feel like I’ve done something at the end of the day. Here, it’s different. I don’t feel like I’ve really accomplished anything when I go home, you know? I made sandwiches all day long, and I’ll do it all over again tomorrow.

There’s two kinds of people, really. There’s doers and there’s people that just ignore stuff. I’ve always been a doer. I’m five feet tall, I’m fat and I’ve got poor vision, but I’ve never in my life been considered average. I’ve always been above-average. Not because I was born with it, but because I’ve worked hard.

I want my son to grow up and see that, no matter who you are or what you do, if you work hard, you can get ahead. This country was made great by people that worked a hundred hours a week just for the hope that things could get better.

I don’t believe in God or faith so much, or destiny, but I believe that everything happens for a reason. I made a choice for my family because I wanted to be able to provide for them. If it means standing by the side of the road wearing a sandwich suit, I’ll do it.