Original Tommy's

{{Short description|Hamburger restaurant chain in Southern California}}

{{coord|34.069545|-118.276368|region:US_type:landmark|display=title}}

{{Infobox company

| name = Original Tommy's

| logo = Original Tommy's.png

| logo_size = 220px

| type = Private

| foundation = {{start date and age|1946}} in
Los Angeles, California,
United States

| location = Monrovia, California

| area_served = California, Nevada

| num_locations_year = 2021

| key_people = Dawna Bernal (President)

| founder = Thomas James "Tommy" Koulax

| industry = Restaurants

| genre = Fast food

| revenue = {{increase}} US$62 million

| revenue_year = 2021{{Cite web|url=https://originaltommys.com/|title=Original Tommys|website=www.originaltommys.com}}

| num_employees = 5,000

| num_employees_year = 2021

| products = hamburgers, hot dogs, tamales, chili, french fries, soft drinks

| num_locations = 32[http://www.originaltommys.com/locations/ Company website as of 2025-04-04] (29 California, 3 Nevada){{efn|Number of locations was 33 in 2019. The San Diego location closed in 2023.{{cite news|url=https://www.sandiegoville.com/2023/03/san-diegos-last-original-tommys.html|title=San Diego's Lone Original Tommy's Hamburgers Location Announces Impending Closure|date=March 7, 2023}}}}

| homepage = {{URL|originaltommys.com}}

}}

Image:052607-005-Tommys.jpg & Rampart Blvd in Los Angeles. The restaurant comprises both the shack in the foreground as well as the building that surrounds it. Patrons can eat at their cars or standing at the counter along the back walls.]]

File:Tommyburgerlogo.png

Original Tommy's, previously known as Original Tommy's World Famous Hamburgers, is a fast food hamburger restaurant chain in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. It is known for its hamburgers and chili burgers.{{cite news |url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-178750.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130423230102/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-178750.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 23, 2013 |title=Local Chains 101 |date=April 25, 2004 |newspaper=Washington Post |access-date=6 February 2013 |url-access= |author=}}

History

The original location was opened on May 15, 1946, by Tom Koulax{{cite book |last=Gould |first=Lark Ellen |title=Los Angeles: Off the Beaten Path: A Guide to Unique Places |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=X5CFtCSElq4C&pg=PA34 |access-date=6 February 2013 |date=2005-04-01 |publisher=Globe Pequot |isbn=9780762735235 |page=34}}{{Cite web|url=http://historicplacesla.org/reports/2f8a16de-c3b4-4006-88c8-72c30800eb95|title=Report - HPLA}} (October 26, 1918 - May 28, 1992), the son of Greek immigrants, on the northeast corner of Beverly and Rampart boulevards west of downtown Los Angeles.{{cite news |url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-145897257.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130602172853/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-145897257.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 2, 2013 |title=Tommy Built it; They Came |date=May 16, 2006 |newspaper=Los Angeles Daily News |first=Dana |last=Bartholomew |access-date=6 February 2013 |url-access=}} The stand, which still exists today, sold hamburgers and hot dogs topped with chili. Initially, the business was slow but it soon started to pick up. During the 1960s, the entire lot at the intersection was purchased. Soon after, the northwest corner was acquired for expanded parking and storage of goods. Not long after that, a second service counter occupying the building at the perimeter of the northeast lot was set up.{{cite web |url=https://originaltommys.com/about/|title=Original Tommy's Hamburgers |publisher=Original Tommy's |author= |date= |access-date=2010-08-21 |archive-date=2010-08-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100819063051/http://www.originaltommys.com/about_tommys.php |url-status=live }}

Tommy's began to expand in the 1970s, and grew to 30 locations by 2006.{{cite web|url=https://originaltommys.com/about/|title=Company website, about page}} Most Original Tommy's restaurants are found in the Greater Los Angeles Area. In recent years several locations have closed. The Santa Monica location was closed on April 20, 2014, when the landlord refused to renew the lease{{cite web |title=We have some sad news to report |author=The Original Tommy's |publisher=facebook.com |url=https://www.facebook.com/OriginalTommys/posts/10152099970514475 |date=March 14, 2014 |access-date=March 20, 2014}}{{cite news |url=http://smdp.com/tommys-burgers-may-get-booted-for-starbucks/132380 |title=Tommy's burgers may get booted for Starbucks |newspaper=Santa Monica Daily Press |date=February 20, 2014 |first=David Mark |last=Simpson}} and leased the location to Starbucks instead.{{cite news |url=http://smdp.com/starbucks-opening-21st-location-santa-monica/147329 |title=Starbucks opening 21st location in Santa Monica |newspaper=Santa Monica Daily Press |date=April 20, 2015 |first=David Mark |last=Simpson}}

In 2008, the company expanded for the first time outside of California by opening two locations in Clark County, Nevada.{{cite web |url=http://www.lasvegasadvisor.com/whatsnews2.cfm?showdate=09/14/2008&startdate=09/08/2008 |title=Today's News |website=Las Vegas Advisor |date=September 13, 2008 |author= |access-date=May 12, 2015 |archive-date=April 23, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150423113159/http://www.lasvegasadvisor.com/whatsnews2.cfm?showdate=09/14/2008&startdate=09/08/2008 |url-status=dead }} A third Nevada location was opened in 2013.{{cite news |url=http://www.restaurantfacilitybusiness.com/the-latest-news/original-tommy-s-opens-third-nevada-location |title=Original Tommy's Opens Third Nevada Location |date=November 27, 2013 |magazine=Restaurant Facility Business |author= }}{{Dead link|date=March 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}{{cite news |url=http://vegas.eater.com/2013/4/17/6448575/original-tommys-hamburgers-adds-a-drive-thru |title=Original Tommy's Hamburgers Adds a Drive Thru |website=Eater Las Vegas |date=April 17, 2013 |first=Bradley |last=Martin}}{{cite news |url=http://vegas.eater.com/2013/9/26/6364077/load-up-on-chili-burgers-and-fries-at-the-new-original-tommys |title=Load Up on Chili Burgers and Fries at the New Original Tommy's Hamburgers |website=Eater Las Vegas |date=September 26, 2013 |first=Susan |last=Stapleton}}

As of March 2023, there are 32 locations. The company is based in Monrovia, California, after years of being in Glendale, California, and is run by the late Mr. Koulax's family.

The restaurant's success in the Los Angeles market has attracted many imitators. A 2019 study by The Los Angeles Times listed 67 restaurants, more than double the number of Original Tommy's restaurants, in the Los Angeles region with some form of the name "Thomas" in the name along with similarity in the signage and menu. Bob Auerbach, a stepson of the restaurant's founder, Tom Koulax, said that the family made a conscious decision not pursue legal action against the imitators.{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2019-10-24/tommys-chili-burgers-knockoffs|title=When is an Original Tommy’s burger not an original? When it’s one of these 67 look-alikes|date=October 24, 2019|publisher=The Los Angeles Times|first=Daniel |last=Miller}}

Image:052607-004-TommysChiliFries.jpg