Original Tommy's
Coordinates: 34°04′10″N 118°16′35″W / 34.069545°N 118.276368°W
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| Type | Private |
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| Industry | Fast food restaurants |
| Founded | Los Angeles, California United States (1946) |
| Headquarters | Monrovia, California |
| Key people | Tommy Koulax, Founder (1918-1992) Tommy Koulax Jr. Founders Son |
| Products | hamburgers, hot dogs, tamales, chili, french fries, soft drinks |
| Website | http://originaltommys.com |
Original Tommy's is a hamburger restaurant chain in Southern California, United States. It is known for its chili burgers.[1]
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History[edit]
The original location was opened on May 15, 1946, by Tom Koulax[2] (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.[3] The stand, which still stands today, sold hamburgers and hot dogs topped with chili. At first business was slow, but started to pick up. During the 1960s, the entire lot at this 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. The food was essentially the same from both locations, except for longer lines at the original shack counter, perhaps for nostalgic reasons.[4]
Koulax credited the students, both as workers and customers, from nearby Belmont High School for making Tommy's a success. He supported the school by placing advertisements in the school newspaper and yearbooks. In his last will and testament, he left a scholarship fund for Belmont.
In the 1970s, Tommy's initiated a conservative expansion plan, growing from the original location to 30 locations in 2006. Tommy's did not expand to more than a handful of locations per year. Most Original Tommy's restaurants are found in the Greater Los Angeles Area. There are also Original Tommy's restaurants in San Diego, Barstow, Palmdale, La Habra, Riverside, Henderson, Las Vegas, and most recently, in Lake Forest. In recent years several locations have closed.
The company is based in Monrovia, California, after years at Glendale, California, and is run by the late Mr. Koulax' family. The restaurants are all company-owned, and there are no plans for the company to offer any franchised locations.
Chili[edit]
A ladle or two of Koulax' signature chili tops nearly every available menu item, even the breakfast sandwich. Original Tommy's chili is a mixture of an all-beef chili con carne base, flour, water, and a "secret" blend of spices, and resembles a condiment more than a conventional bowl of chili. The flour-water mixture allows the chili to "set up" and adhere to the burger or fries.
Advertising and marketing[edit]
Except for an occasional television commercial and a brief flirtation with radio advertising in the 1990s, Original Tommy's has relied on word-of-mouth and local newspaper advertising to gain popularity.
References[edit]
- ^ "Local Chains 101". Washington Post. April 25, 2004. Retrieved 6 February 2013.
- ^ Gould, Lark Ellen (2005-04-01). Los Angeles: Off the Beaten Path : a Guide to Unique Places. Globe Pequot. pp. 34–. ISBN 9780762735235. Retrieved 6 February 2013.
- ^ Dana Bartholomew (May 16, 2006). "TOMMY BUILT IT; THEY CAME". Daily News. Retrieved 6 February 2013.
- ^ Original Tommy's Hamburgers, OriginalTommys
External links[edit]
- Fast-food chains of the United States
- Fast-food hamburger restaurants
- History of Los Angeles, California
- Restaurants established in 1946
- Companies based in Los Angeles, California
- Restaurants in Los Angeles, California
- Landmarks in Los Angeles, California
- Regional restaurant chains in the United States
- Hamburger restaurants
- Cuisine of the Western United States
- Cuisine of the Southwestern United States
