Tommy’s Burger

Tommy’s was founded in 1946 by Tom Koulax. The son of Greek immigrants, Tom engaged in various business ventures before founding the original stand at Beverly and Rampart Blvds. in Los Angeles. It took some time before the public discovered his small stand. However, the many long hours of work, and dedication toward quality and fast service finally paid off. By the mid 1950’s, the little stand gained a reputation like none other for the appetites of Los Angeles burger lovers.

In the 1960’s Tom had to expand his operation to accommodate the growth of his customer base. Soon he had acquired the entire northeast corner, along with the second serving station. By this time, it was apparent the public was hooked.

Tommy’s future will undoubtedly revolve around the original philosophy: Maintain quality at all costs. Since this quality control may not be possible with franchising, it is unlikely Tommy’s will sell licenses. A controlled expansion through a well-paced program of selected locations in California, Nevada and Arizona is likely.

Many fans have expressed a desire in having Tommy’s in their area. Hopefully, such desires can be fulfilled in the future – but never by sacrificing the high standards of quality, value, and service characteristic of the Original Tommy’s World Famous Hamburgers.

The restaurant format is self-service with no waiters utilized. Customers place their orders at a servicing counter, simultaneously paying for their order while receiving their food and beverages. Many Tommy’s are open 24 hours per day.

The restaurants all share common elements associated with the Tommy’s theme, such as paper towels, in place of napkins, basic employee uniforms (white shirt, aprons, baseball caps) and “watch while you wait” service. In addition, the Original location in Los Angeles features stand-up counters alongside the building; there are no tables or chairs to be found on premises – customers eat at the counters, which serves as part of the festive atmosphere and preserves a tradition.

Opening Hours: 9 am – 11 pm