{{Short description|Hamburger restaurant chain in Southern California}} {{Redirect|Tommy's|the UK-based charity|Tommy's (charity)}} {{coord|34.069545|-118.276368|region:US_type:landmark|display=title}} {{stack begin}} {{Infobox company | name = Original Tommy's | logo = Original Tommy's.png | logo_size = 220px | type = Private | foundation = {{start date and age|1946}} in<br />Los Angeles, California,<br />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<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://originaltommys.com/|title=Original Tommys|website=www.originaltommys.com}}</ref> | num_employees = 5,000 | num_employees_year = 2021 | products = hamburgers, hot dogs, tamales, chili, french fries, soft drinks | num_locations = 32<ref name="locations">[http://www.originaltommys.com/locations/ Company website as of 2025-04-04]</ref> <small>(29 California, 3 Nevada)</small>{{efn|Number of locations was 33 in 2019. The San Diego location closed in 2023.<ref name="Los Angeles Times 2019"/><ref>{{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}}</ref>}} | homepage = {{URL|originaltommys.com}} }} thumb|Chili Cheese Fries, served at the original location (cheese is under the chili) {{stack end}} '''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.<ref>{{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=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->}}</ref>

==History== [[Image:052607-005-Tommys.jpg|thumb|left|240px|Location of the first restaurant at the intersection of Beverly Blvd & 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.]] thumb|left|240px|Older logo The original location was opened on May 15, 1946, by Tom Koulax<ref name="Gould2005">{{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}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://historicplacesla.org/reports/2f8a16de-c3b4-4006-88c8-72c30800eb95|title=Report - HPLA}}</ref> (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.<ref>{{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=}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://originaltommys.com/about/|title=Original Tommy's Hamburgers |publisher=Original Tommy's |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=<!--undated--> |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 }}</ref>

Tommy's began to expand in the 1970s, and grew to 30 locations by 2006.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://originaltommys.com/about/|title=Company website, about page}}</ref> 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<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref name=smdp-2014feb20>{{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}}</ref> and leased the location to Starbucks instead.<ref name=smdp-2015apr20>{{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}}</ref> Original Tommy's last San Diego location closed in 2023.<ref>{{cite news|first=Itzel|last=Luna|title=Iconic local burger chain celebrates 80th anniversary with 80-cent burger|date=May 14, 2026|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|url=https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2026-05-14/iconic-local-burger-chain-celebrates-80th-anniversary-with-80-cent-burger|access-date=May 14, 2026}}</ref>

In 2008, the company expanded for the first time outside of California by opening two locations in Clark County, Nevada.<ref>{{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=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |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 }}</ref> A third Nevada location was opened in 2013.<ref>{{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=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> }}{{Dead link|date=March 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref name=elv-2013apr17>{{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}}</ref><ref name=elv-2013sep26>{{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}}</ref>

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 to doggedly pursue legal action against the imitators.<ref name="Los Angeles Times 2019">{{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}}</ref> The chain's full name, Original Tommy’s World Famous Hamburgers, is trademarked,<ref name="Los Angeles Times 2019"/> and they have sued to protect the "original" and "world famous" parts of their name.<ref name="Los Angeles Times 2019"/><ref>{{cite news|first=Burt A.|last=Folkart|title=Tommy Koulax, Builder of Hamburger Chain, Dies|date=May 29, 1992|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-05-29-me-140-story.html|access-date=May 14, 2026|quote=When the judicial dust had settled, Koulax had sued and prevailed over 20 would-be imitators, protecting the 'original' and 'world famous' portions of his title.}}</ref>

== See also == * List of hamburger restaurants

{{Portal bar|Companies|Food|Los Angeles}}

==Notes== {{notelist}}

==References== {{reflist}}

== External links == {{commons category|Original Tommy's}} *{{official website|http://originaltommys.com}}

{{Fast-food chains of the United States}}

Category:1946 establishments in California Category:Fast-food chains of the United States Category:Fast-food hamburger restaurants Category:History of Los Angeles Category:Landmarks in Los Angeles Category:Culture of Los Angeles Category:Regional restaurant chains in the United States Category:Restaurants established in 1946 Category:Restaurants in Greater Los Angeles Category:Cuisine of California