TBC: What is Badd Burgers?

Tommy: Badd Burgers is a chef-driven burger company with a gothic aesthetic and a lot of personality. At the end of the day, we make smash burgers and fries.

TBC: How did Badd Burgers start?

Tommy: It actually started from a random conversation at a bar. A bartender told me he finally watched Good Burger, which blew my mind. We started quoting it, and I jokingly said, “Welcome to Badd Burgers, home of the Badd Burger.” Everyone laughed, but the idea stuck with me. I started thinking about what the opposite version of that would look like. A darker burger company with a different attitude and its own personality. I bought the name and created the LLC while drinking my next beer and then it all just began from there.

TBC: What happened after that?

Tommy: We started through pop-ups last August, and eventually operated from a permanent kitchen. Austin is an extremely competitive food city with incredible restaurants, food trucks, and pop-ups, so it was a great place to test if people actually cared about our concept. After seeing people support it there, I knew Badd Burgers had potential. In April 2026, I made the decision to close our Texas operations and bring the company home to Fresno.

TBC: Why Fresno?

Tommy: Because it’s home. When I decided to bring the company here, I called Ernie Rodriguez because he was the person I knew could help build the next chapter of the company. He flew to Texas, helped bring everything back, and became a Co-Owner in Badd Burgers. Austin is where the company started, but Fresno is where we will build its future.

TBC: Why does every burger have a vegan twin?

Tommy: It came from my experience working in both traditional kitchens and vegan kitchens. I always thought it was strange how separated those worlds were from a business point of view. I understand the culture behind veganism so I respect that as well, but for no one to try to make it work just made me want to. So I did.

Most places either focus completely on plant-based food or treat the vegan option like an afterthought with one or two items added on the back bottom of the menu. I wanted to create a menu where everyone could order something we were equally proud of making. We aren’t trying to convince anyone what to eat. We just want everyone to be able to eat together.

Craziest part is we never even marketed Badd Burgers as a mirrored menu concept until recently. I just didn’t wanna sell food unless everyone could eat so we’ve been doing it since day one. Then Impossible Foods started talking to us and I realized we were the only ones doing this.

TBC: Your marketing feels different from most restaurants. Where does that come from?

Tommy: Marketing has actually been part of my life longer than cooking. I started marketing as a musician over 20 years ago and even played my first show at Starline, which is now Strummer’s. When you’re playing shows, you learn quickly that making something great doesn’t matter if nobody knows you exist. That eventually turned into a career in marketing where I worked with companies around the world helping them grow. By the time I got into food, I was bringing years of marketing experience with me. Most restaurant owners fall in love with food first and figure out marketing later. My path just happened to be the opposite.

TBC: What is the biggest misconception about Badd Burgers?

Tommy: Probably that we’re a niche burger company. I understand why people think that. The branding is different, the name stands out, and we don’t look like a traditional burger place. But underneath all of that, we’re making one of the most universal foods in the world. You don’t have to be goth. You don’t have to be vegan. You don’t have to understand anything about the brand before walking up. You just have to want a good burger.

TBC: Who helped Badd Burgers get to this point?

Tommy: A lot of people. Ernie believed in the company enough to become a partner and help build this next chapter. My family has been incredibly supportive since the move to Fresno, not just emotionally but hands-on as well. They’ve been in the kitchen, helped at events, and stepped in wherever they were needed. We’ve also had a great advisor, early investors, badass collaborators, and lots of customers who believed in what we were building before there was any guarantee it would work.

When people see a business from the outside, they usually only see the final product. They don’t always see all the people behind the scenes helping make it happen.

TBC: Now that Badd Burgers has a permanent home at Strummer’s, what’s next?

Tommy: Now that we’re here, our main focus is building the best version of this location possible. After that, we plan to activate DoorDash and grow our delivery side of the business for people who don't want to dine in. Will also continue doing pop-ups, but more strategically locally and eventually all throughout California.