Original Tommy’s will be selling 80-cent burgers to celebrate its 80th anniversary on Friday, May 15.
The chain is known for its chili, which is liberally slathered on burgers, fries, and just about everything else on the menu.
It was founded in 1946 by Oklahoma native Tom Koulax, who opened a burger stand at Beverly and Rampart boulevards in Los Angeles. Tommy’s grew so popular that it became embroiled in a “hamburger war” in the 1970s that ended with Koulax suing competitors with similar-sounding names and adding the word “Original” to his own chain.
ALSO SEE: 12 Southern California chains that made fast food history
Today, there are 32 locations in Southern California and Nevada. The chain is still family-owned and has its headquarters in Monrovia.
Dawna Bernal, Koulax’s granddaughter and chief executive officer, has posted videos about the celebration on Instagram and Facebook.
Tommy’s will be selling its Chili Cheeseburger at 80 cents from noon to 8 p.m. only at all locations on Friday, with a limit of three per person, according to social media posts. Mention the offer to get the discount.
Information: originaltommys.com
Five Guys
In more burger news, Five Guys plans to close two of its Southern California restaurants, according to California’s Employment Development Department, which posts a constantly updated spreadsheet on layoffs called the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) report.
The restaurants are at 10140 Carmencita Road, Whittier, with an effective closure date of May 25, and 1552 S. Azusa Ave., City of Industry, with a closure date of May 26.
Two other Five Guys restaurants are on the list, in Hanford and Merced.
Although Virginia-based Five Guys lists 105 locations in California on its website and has nearly 2,000 locations worldwide, the four impending closures caught the attention of such news outlets as KTLA and Newsweek.
Information: fiveguys.com