Original Tommy’s celebrates its 80th anniversary with 80-cent burgers for one day only

Los Angeles burger lovers will be in hog heaven on Friday, with a beloved institution celebrating their anniversary and allowing hungry patrons to chow down dirt cheap.

Original Tommy’s is celebrating it’s 80th Anniversary on Friday, offering 80-cent chili cheeseburgers from 12 PM to 8 PM, according to a press release.

The offer is valid at all 32 Original Tommy’s locations in California and Nevada, with a limit of three burgers per person between those times.

The festivities will start at the original Los Angeles location – dubbed The Shack – on the corner of Beverly Blvd. and Rampart Blvd. at 11 AM with a performance by The Belmont High School Marching Band.

There will also be a live DJ performing all day, with the late founder Tom Koulax’s family – who still run the business to this day – set to receive a Resolution honoring the anniversary from California by Assemblymember Mark Gonzalez.

Dawna Bernal, Tom Koulax’s granddaughter and CEO and Richard Hicks, the founder’s son-in-law and CFO, will be present at The Shack, along with Tom’s daughter Cynthia Koulax.

“We are proud to continue the tradition of serving our World-Famous Chili after 80 years,” Hicks said in a statement.

“We’ve worked hard to maintain the high-quality products and commitment to our customers that began with our founder Tommy Koulax. As a company we are grateful to be celebrating this remarkable milestone with the community, staff and our loyal customers,” he added.

The Original Tommy’s Facebook also promoted the event with an announcement post and several videos from the Koulax family, thanking their patrons for eight decades of business.

“I wanted to personally thank everyone who’s been supporting us for the past 80 years. We appreciate you more than you know, and we can’t wait to keep serving you for years to come,”said Victor Koulax, Tommy’s grandson who has worked for the company for 37 years.

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Tommy’s oldest daughter Diane also shared a video, where she said she was, “so proud of my dad for opening this business in 1946.”

Tommy’s youngest daughter, Cindi, added in another video, “I am so appreciative to all the fans and the customers for the past 80 years.”

Original Tommy’s opened on on May 15, 1946 by Tom Koulax, the son of Greek immigrants who was armed with little else besides his secret chili recipe.

While business was slow for the first few years, by the mid-1950s, Tommy’s started build a reputation among hungry Angelenos for their chili cheeseburgers, chili hot dogs and chili cheese fries.

When business started to pick up in the 1960s, Koulax purchased additional lots at that intersection, where The Shack and its adjacent counter across the street are still thriving today.

The original Shack is still open 24 hours a day, with the brand expanding to Nevada, with three restaurants in the Las Vegas area.