Local burger lovers no longer need to drive cross-country to get a real California-style burger.

Following a successful relaunch of the concept in East Memphis last year, Tommy’s Burger California Style is preparing its second area restaurant opening in Bartlett by the end of the month. 

Owners Anai and Misael Alvarado are finishing work on their new location at 2931 Kirby Whitten Road, hoping to open April 21.

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Misael started Tommy’s Burger California Style in El Monte, California, in 1999 when he was just 19. Along the way he met and eventually married Anai, and they grew the concept to five locations in the state before deciding to sell them a couple of years ago and move here.

“We sold the businesses there to move to Memphis and open like six or seven,” Misael said. “Over there, too much competition. Every corner, they have burger (places) with different names but the same menu.”

The Alvarados came to the Memphis area many times over the past 20 years to visit Misael’s brother, Roberto, who lives in Bartlett. They were always impressed with the area and doing business in Tennessee.

Last April, the Mexican American couple, who now lives in Cordova, opened their first Tommy’s here at 4969 Park Ave. just west of Mount Moriah in East Memphis. That location has done very well.

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“Burgers and breakfast are our specialties,” Misael said. “Our plan was to start with a smaller place, and then we’ll go into opening bigger ones.”

The 10,000-square-foot freestanding Bartlett building, which was previously a Back Yard Burgers for many years, is double the size of the Tommy’s in East Memphis.

What makes Tommy’s burgers “California style” and sets them apart from their competition? It’s the secret sauce, which includes Thousand Island dressing similar to California’s famous In & Out Burgers.

“But not the same recipe,” Misael said. “Here I don’t see anything like this.”

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The burgers are also charbroiled instead of grilled to cut down on grease.

“It tastes like homemade when you make barbecue at home. It’s good,” he said.

The menu also features a variety of breakfast choices like eggs, pancakes, French toast, and breakfast burritos, as well as pastrami sandwiches, Philly cheesesteak, gyros, hot dogs, chili, homemade fried zucchini and onion rings.

One difference from the East Memphis location will be that no Mexican food will be sold in the Bartlett business due a non-compete situation with Stage Centre’s Los Cabos Mexican Bar & Grill.

The Bartlett opening will create 25 to 40 new jobs.

The couple’s goal is to open one new location each year, with the next one possibly in Collierville, Cordova, Germantown or North Mississippi.

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The Bartlett opening fills one of the main empty spaces at the Stage Centre shopping plaza. O’Reilly Auto Parts is moving into another large space that sat empty for many years.

“Construction is scheduled to be completed in June,” said Patty Bullock, senior vice president with Gill Properties, which handles leasing of the 16-acre center.

John Threadgill, Bartlett Area Chamber of Commerce president, sees the 16-acre Stage Centre as an important component of Bartlett’s retail and commercial scene.

“For many years the property did not live up to the standards we felt it deserved,” Threadgill said. “Fortunately, that appears to be changing.”

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He sees a new dynamic taking place in Stage Centre that he feels has been a long time coming.

“Spaces are filling up and newer prospective tenants are taking a serious look,” Threadgill said. “Hopefully we’ll see a revitalized Bartlett property soon that once again is viewed as a major city asset.”