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On May 15, 1946, a young Tommy Koulax introduced Los Angeles to a
hamburger with gusto. Forty-eight years later, L.A.'s love affair with
his chili-topped creation is still going strong. Beginning with a
ramshackle little stand on the corner of Beverly and Rampart Boulevards
in Los Angeles, Tommy has fed an estimated fifty million Southern
Californians.</p>
The original stand today serves as the company logo, and for good
reason. Although there are now several Tommy's locations throughout Los
Angeles and Orange Counties, none compare with the huge popularity of
the original Beverly location. Alone, it serves over 25,000 customers
per week. It's why we say, "If you don't see the shack - take it back!"</p>
<center>
ORIGINATION
</center>
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 Boulevards in
Los Angeles. It took some time before public discovered his
small stand. However, the many long hours of hard work, and a
dedication toward quality and fast service finally paid off.
By the mid-6O's, the little stand had gained a reputation like
none other for the appetites of L.A. burger lovers.</p>
In the 60's, Tom had to expand his operation to accommodate the
growth of his customers. Soon he had acquired the entire southeast
corner of the intersection. Later, he had to add parking on
the southwest corner. Soon after, he had to add a second serving
station. By this time, it was apparent the public was hooked.</p>
<center>
EXPANSION
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In the 70's, Tommy began breaking new ground; the opening of new
locations. During this decade, five new Tommy's opened. Though
not as popular as the Original Stand, each became very successful
in its own right.</p>
Today there are twenty locations. They are located in L.A.,
Sepulveda, Eagle Rock, Burbank, Tujunga, Fountain Valley, Van
Nuys, Rowland Heights, Long Beach, Pico Rivera, Huntington Park,
La Habra, El Monte, Westminster, Canoga Park, Norwalk, Santa
Monica, Hollywood, North Hollywood, and Monrovia. These
locations serve over 80,000 customers a week, and average
over million dollars annually a piece in sales.</p>
The Original location serves over 15,000 customers a week
alone. All the Tommy's locations are owned and operated by
the Tommy's organization. There are no franchised units.</p>
General Office:<br>
517 EAST WILSON AVENUE … SUITE 104<br>
GLENDALE, CALIFORNIA 91206<br>
PHONE: (818) 240-0019<br>
FAX: (818) 240-2919</p>
One particular problem for Tommy's over the years, has been
protecting the name. Many profit-hungry imitators have
copied key elements of the operation, trying to cash in on
the original's fame. Unfortunately, by copying the sign
and menu, some customers have been confused at one time or
another. This issue has been the subject of many legal battles.
Today, customers are instructed to "look for the shack" on the
Tommy's logo. "Many imitate, but none can compare!</p>
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THE CONCEPT
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Tommy's is oriented toward a wide customer base. Young, Old,
families, and every ethnic background imaginable patronize the
stands. The restaurants feature a limited menu consisting of
high-quality, low-price foods. The entrees served include
hamburgers, hot dogs, and tamales. Each location also serves
french fries. All entrees are served with Tommy's famous chili
unless otherwise requested.</p>
The ingredients are of the highest quality, including 100%
beef patties and hot dogs, double-thick slices of real cheese,
fresh chopped onions, hand-sliced beef steak tomatoes, pickles
and mustard. All items are prepared to order, and extra
portions of chili, mustard, onion, or tomato are served at
no extra charge. Portions are extremely generous, as food
costs are much higher than industry standards. The restaurants
are profitable due only to the high volume of customers
flowing through each unit.</p>
The limited menu allows the speed of service to be
unsurpassed in the industry. In the original location,
the average service time during a rush period is about 15
seconds. Customers have come to expect long lines at Tommy's
but come to delight in the speed at which they move. This
speed of service also creates an ideal situation for a
drive-thru. As a result, many Tommy's include the drive-thru
feature.</p>
<center>
FORMAT
</center>
The restaurant format is self-service with no waiters or
waitresses utilized. Customers place their orders at a
serving counter, simultaneously paying for their order and
receiving their food and beverages. Most Tommy's locations
are open 24 hours a day.</p>
The restaurants all share common elements associated with
the Tommy's theme. Among these are: paper towels in place of
napkins, basic employee uniforms (white shirts, aprons, and
baseball caps), Pepsi-cola, and "watch while you wait" service.
In addition, the original Tommy's on Beverly features canned
soda-pop in old fashioned coolers. Customers help themselves
by the "honor system". Although it would be considerably
more profitable to sell syrup-based fountain drinks, the original
stand has remained the same to preserve the original flavor
of the location.</p>
Another trademark of Tommy's Los Angeles, is the stand-up
counters alongside the building. There are no tables or
chairs to be found on the premises. Customers eat at these
counters which serve as part of the festive atmosphere.</p>
<center>
PROMOTION
</center>
Tommy's has become known to many Southern Californians as
the "Word of Mouth" hamburger. This is largely due to the
lack of advertising by the Company. Amazingly, the saying
that the "word of mouth travels fast" has proven true for
Tommy's.</p>
Tommy's has also been the beneficiary of much free
advertising. Television shows such as Eye on L.A., 2 on the
Town, and P.M. Magazine have featured segments on the
original Tommy's. Print-media stories on Tommy's have been
seen in Los Angeles magazines, BIG VALLEY magazine, the
Los Angeles Times, the Downtown News, and various other
publications. Many motion pictures have included Tommy's
in scenes as well.</p>
Tommy's can lay claim to the slogan "World Famous" due to
the inordinate attention given by the foreign press.
The Swedish magazine, Chic, mentions Tommy's as L.A.'s
quintessential fast food. Australian, Korean, Japanese,
and Taiwanese television featured Tommy's as part of their
1984 Summer Olympic coverage. In addition, tourist groups
from all over the world frequently include the original
Tommy's on Beverly as one of their regular stops. Needless
to say, this kind of publicity can only help business.</p>
The University of Southern California has long provided
Tommy's with new customers as well. In fact, an annual Trojan
ritual has become the U.S.C. campus dormitory Tommy's hamburger
eating contest. So spirited is the competition, that local
television news coverage has become expected by the students.</p>
<center>
FUTURE PLANS
</center>
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
that Tommy's will sell licenses. A controlled expansion
through a well-paced program of selected locations in Southern
California is likely.</p>
Many Southern California residents have expressed desire
in having Tommy's in their area. Hopefully, theses desires
can be fulfilled. But never by sacrificing quality or value.</p>
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