Ones to Watch | By Sabrina
Davis
Tommy’s Original
World Famous Hamburger
The all-beef chili is made fresh in the stores each
day. The hamburgers are large, 100-percent beef
patties. The tomatoes are always beefsteak. The
top-seller is the Tommy’s Double Cheeseburger,
which sells for $2.85. The average check is $6.50.
The famous chili also is part of the tamale (on
the menu from the start), and is available on hot
dogs, fries, as a side, and by the gallon.
About 75 percent of the stores also serve breakfast
sandwiches and about a third are open 24 hours
a day.
Another unusual aspect for a 60-year-old fast-food
success is that Tommy’s remains family-owned.
After Koulax’s death in 1992, ownership transferred
to his family. His daughter Dawna Bernal is CEO.
Maire has been with the company for 24 years and
says there are no plans to franchise.
“We believe in controlled growth and we look
at every site individually—the demographics
of the area and the plans for growth—to make
sure every restaurant is going to be as successful
as the first.”
Tommy’s Original World
Famous Hamburger
CEO: Dawna Bernal
HQ: Glendale, California
Year Started: 1946
Annual Sales: 36 million
Total Units: 30
Franchise Units: 0
With that said, Tommy’s has been slowly increasing
its growth rate and plans to continue to do so.
In recent years the chain has been increasing by
two units per year and now stands at 30. Maire
says there are no target numbers, but the company
will start construction on its first store outside
of Southern California—in Henderson, Nevada,
which is 15 miles outside of Las Vegas—this
year.
WHY IT BEARS WATCHING: “It’s
rare that you have a concept that’s
60 years old and still has the freshness and
vitality of when it originally started,” Maire
says.
“We proved with our 60-year anniversary
and our Ultimate Fan Contest this year that
there are so many Tommy’s fanatics out
there that have memories of visiting as children
and now bring their grandchildren back for
our burgers.”
Tommy’s grew slowly in its early years,
expanding to just 11 stores over 46 years.
Most of the growth has taken place since founder
Tommy Koulax’s death. His family now
has a new vision for the company to capitalize
on the iconic value created over time.
“Being so close to Hollywood, several
movies have had scenes shot at the original
shack,” Maire says, pointing out that
Tommy’s was part of the script in the
1979 George Segal/Natalie Wood film The
Last Married Couple in America.
“We’ve had people get married
here, or have their reception here after the
wedding. We have people call and say can you
ship your chili to Washington, D.C. or some
burgers to Nebraska?”
Maire says.
Tommy’s already has proven its staying
power and its ability to attract high volume—most
stores serve 500 to 1,000 customers a day.
Now with plans for faster growth, including
stores in central and northern California,
Arizona, and Nevada, this icon might see its
fan base to grow.
