Original Tommy's
A Los Angeles-area hamburger chain best known for burgers and fries topped with its signature chili.
Last updated August 21, 2026
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Overview
Original Tommy's is a regional American hamburger restaurant chain associated closely with Los Angeles and the city’s late-night, counter-service food culture. The business was established by Tom Koulax on May 15, 1946, when he opened a small stand at the northeast corner of Beverly Boulevard and Rampart Boulevard, west of downtown Los Angeles. The location remains the brand’s historic flagship. Its original menu centered on hamburgers and hot dogs finished with chili, an inexpensive and distinctive combination that became the defining feature of the business. Koulax was the son of Greek immigrants. The restaurant initially developed slowly, but demand increased as the stand became known for its heavily topped burgers, casual atmosphere, and extended service hours. During the 1960s, the business acquired the full lot at the original intersection, later obtaining the northwest corner for additional parking and storage. A second service counter was subsequently established around the perimeter of the northeast lot, allowing the original site to handle greater volume without abandoning its basic stand-style identity. Expansion accelerated in the 1970s. Original Tommy’s remained concentrated in Southern California rather than becoming a nationwide franchise, and most restaurants continued to operate in the Greater Los Angeles area. The chain reached approximately 30 locations by 2006. It later extended beyond California for the first time, opening two restaurants in Clark County, Nevada, in 2008 and a third Nevada location in 2013. The company has also experienced contraction: the Santa Monica restaurant closed in 2014 after its landlord declined to renew the lease, and the final San Diego location closed in 2023. The brand’s core proposition is straightforward, filling, and value-oriented: hamburgers, chili burgers, chili fries, hot dogs, breakfast items, beverages, and other American fast-food staples served in a recognizable regional format. Its signature chili is used as a topping rather than presented as a separate bowl-centered product, and the combination of chili, onions, mustard, and other toppings has helped distinguish Original Tommy’s from standard hamburger chains. Milkshakes and fries are also associated with the menu, although the chili burger remains the principal brand icon. Original Tommy’s has generated substantial imitation in the Los Angeles market. Restaurants using variants of the Tommy or Thomas name, along with similar visual presentation and menus, have appeared throughout the region. The Koulax family has reportedly chosen not to pursue every imitator aggressively, while protecting the registered full name and the distinctive use of terms such as “Original” and “World Famous” through trademark enforcement when necessary. Following years of being based in Glendale, the company is headquartered in Monrovia, California, and remains operated by members of the Koulax family. It is an active private restaurant business rather than a publicly traded company. Its importance is primarily regional: Original Tommy’s represents a durable Los Angeles hamburger institution whose identity rests on a historic location, chili-topped food, long operating hours, and continuity across generations.
History
Tom Koulax opened the first Original Tommy’s stand on May 15, 1946, at the northeast corner of Beverly Boulevard and Rampart Boulevard in Los Angeles. Koulax, whose parents were Greek immigrants, built the business around hamburgers and hot dogs covered with chili. The concept was modest and highly localized, but its combination of inexpensive food, generous toppings, and a distinctive chili-based flavor profile gradually attracted a larger following. The original restaurant became the center of the company’s identity. During the 1960s, the business acquired the entire intersection lot, then purchased the northwest corner for parking and storage. A second counter was later added around the perimeter of the northeast property. These changes allowed the original site to serve more customers while preserving the physical character of a roadside hamburger stand. The chain began expanding during the 1970s, primarily across the Greater Los Angeles area. It reached about 30 locations by 2006, but unlike national hamburger companies it retained a strongly regional footprint. The business expanded beyond California for the first time in 2008, when two Clark County, Nevada, locations opened. A third Nevada restaurant followed in 2013. The company subsequently reduced its presence in some markets. The Santa Monica location closed in April 2014 after a lease dispute with the landlord, and the last San Diego restaurant closed in 2023. Original Tommy’s developed a menu identity centered on chili-topped hamburgers, fries, and hot dogs. The brand’s chili burger became its signature offering, while chili fries, milkshakes, breakfast foods, and standard American fast-food accompaniments broadened the menu. The restaurants generally emphasize counter service and an informal, accessible experience rather than table-service dining. The popularity of the Los Angeles restaurants encouraged imitators. A 2019 Los Angeles Times study cited dozens of regional restaurants using Tommy- or Thomas-related names and similar signage or menu styles. The Koulax family has been described as selective in responding to these businesses rather than pursuing every resemblance through litigation. At the same time, the company has used trademark protection for the full Original Tommy’s World Famous Hamburgers name and has brought legal actions concerning the use of “Original” and “World Famous.” After operating for years from Glendale, the company moved its base to Monrovia, California. It continues to be run by the Koulax family and remains an active private chain. Its historical significance comes less from national scale than from its sustained association with Los Angeles, its original stand, and the enduring popularity of chili-topped hamburgers.
- 2023
San Diego presence ends
[1]The chain’s final San Diego location closes.
- 2014
Santa Monica restaurant closes
[1]The Santa Monica location closes on April 20 after its landlord declines to renew the lease.
- 2013
Third Nevada location opens
[1]Original Tommy's adds another Nevada restaurant.
- 2008
First Nevada locations open
[1]Two restaurants open in Clark County, Nevada, representing the brand’s first expansion outside California.
- 2006
Chain reaches approximately 30 locations
[1]The company has grown to roughly 30 restaurants, largely in the Greater Los Angeles area.
- 1970
Regional expansion begins
[1]Original Tommy's starts expanding beyond the original stand, concentrating its restaurants in Southern California.
- 1960
Original site expands
[1]During the 1960s, the company acquires the full intersection lot and later secures additional land for parking, storage, and a second service counter.
- 1946
First Original Tommy's stand opens in Los Angeles
[1]Tom Koulax opens the original restaurant at Beverly Boulevard and Rampart Boulevard, serving hamburgers and hot dogs topped with chili.
Products and positioning
A regional, value-oriented American fast-food brand built around chili-topped hamburgers, fries, and hot dogs, with strong Los Angeles heritage and a classic counter-service identity.
Hamburger · 1946
Chili burger
The chili burger is Original Tommy’s defining menu item: a hamburger served with the chain’s chili and customary burger toppings. Its strongly regional flavor and generous topping style have made it the central product associated with the brand.
Side dish
Chili fries
French fries covered with Original Tommy’s chili. The dish extends the brand’s signature chili format beyond the hamburger and is one of the chain’s best-known accompanying items.
Hamburger · 1946
Hamburgers
The broader hamburger range forms the foundation of the chain’s menu. Burgers are served in a casual counter-service setting and can be combined with chili and other traditional American fast-food toppings.
Hot dog · 1946
Chili hot dog
Hot dogs topped with chili were part of the original menu and remain consistent with the brand’s emphasis on heavily topped, informal American comfort food.
Beverage
Milkshakes
Milkshakes complement the chain’s burger-and-fries menu and reinforce its classic American hamburger-stand positioning.
Brand decisions
2023
End operations in San DiegoStrategyBackground
The chain had maintained a presence in the San Diego market but later operated only one location there.
Action taken
The final San Diego restaurant closed.
Aftermath
Original Tommy’s remained focused mainly on the Los Angeles area and other established markets.
2014
Santa Monica location closes after lease nonrenewalOtherBackground
The Santa Monica restaurant’s lease was not renewed by its landlord.
Action taken
Original Tommy’s closed the location on April 20, 2014.
Aftermath
The premises were subsequently leased to Starbucks, removing the chain from the Santa Monica site.
2008
Enter Nevada while retaining a regional footprintStrategyBackground
Original Tommy’s had historically concentrated its restaurants in Southern California and had not previously operated outside California.
Action taken
The company opened two Clark County, Nevada, locations, its first out-of-state restaurants.
Aftermath
A third Nevada location followed in 2013, although the chain continued to be primarily associated with the Los Angeles region.
Sources2 sources
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