New Event Celebrates the 100th Anniversary of the Cheeseburger in Pasadena
Los Angeles, CA - May 1, 2024 - LAist, the award-winning local news and multiplatform information resource for Angelenos, announced today the kick-off of the Tournament of Cheeseburgers (TOC), a new online tournament that will culminate in a live event to take place this summer in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the crowd-pleasing sandwich which has widely been attributed to a roadside stand in Pasadena. In advance of the live event, LAist will host an online tournament where the community is invited to vote for their favorite cheeseburger establishment in Southern California. The audience-chosen cheeseburger champions will then be crowned in a grand finale event taking place on July 7th at the ROW DTLA in partnership with Smorgasburg LA.
The roots of this celebration trace back to the former site of The Rite Spot roadside stand on Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena. A plaque commemorates the spot where, in 1924, “16-year-old Lionel Sternberger first put cheese on a hamburger and served it to a customer.” The Pasadena Museum of History holds a 1920s-era menu from The Rite Spot, providing historical documentation of the cheeseburger's inception, as recognized by prominent sources such as LAist along with the Los Angeles Times, Hamburger America, and Time magazine, which published Lionel Sternberger's obituary as the inventor of the cheeseburger.
To mark this significant milestone, LAist’s Tournament of Cheeseburgers will kick off on May 1st and will unfold throughout the months of May and June.
The Tournament of Cheeseburgers will come to a close with an event on July 7th where LAist will crown the TOC champion and other winners. LAist will also invite the top eight vote getters to the finale event to set up shop and sell their cheeseburgers. This event, in partnership with Smorgasburg LA, will be a fun-filled, family-friendly day of food and drink, live entertainment, and interactive games and activities, all showcasing the rich tapestry of cheeseburger culture and bringing together the Los Angeles community.
“Cheeseburgers are for everyone," said LAist food editor Gab Chabrán, “That’s why we are thrilled to bring this unique experience to the people of Los Angeles. L.A. may be the birthplace of the burger and fast food chains," Chabrán said, "but what's most exciting to me is the thriving pop-up burger scene that has become part of our post-pandemic culinary landscape. The Tournament of Cheeseburgers celebrates local chefs and cooks and the world-renowned restaurant scene that has crafted L.A.’s unique burger culture. We wanted to provide a space for the L.A. population to nominate, which is waiting to be discovered. We can’t wait to hear from you.”
The TOC excitement begins online at laist.com/cheeseburgers. Fans and foodies can participate in an online tournament, where they can submit their favorite cheeseburger establishments in SoCal in four subsequent rounds. The winning three will be announced at the event on July 7th.
LAist listeners and cheeseburger enthusiasts can also look forward to other cheeseburger-focused content this year. Specials, segments, podcasts, and essays will be featured on various platforms, including How to LA, AirTalk, Cheap Fast Eats, LA Report, LA Made, LAist, and others, offering a diverse range of perspectives and insights on this beloved culinary creation.
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About Southern California Public Radio (SCPR)
Southern California Public Radio (www.scpr.org) is a member-supported multi-platform public media organization that has garnered more than 500 journalistic honors since 1999. Recognized as a national leader in public service journalism and community engagement, SCPR’s flagship radio station, LAist 89.3, is LA’s #1 NPR station. The network’s five stations (LAist 89.3, LAist 89.1 KUOR-FM, LAist 90.3 KVLA-FM, LAist 89.5 KJAI-FM and LAist 89.9 Santa Barbara) deliver award-winning local stories to the communities of the region, including a robust slate of signature programs from NPR, APM, the BBC, and PRI.
LAist is a brand committed to serve audiences in Greater Los Angeles, Orange County, and the Inland Empire. Its award-winning work reaches more than seven million people per month on LAist.com and social media platforms. In 2019, the brand grew to include LAist Studios (www.laiststudios.com), a dedicated podcast development and production studio. Furthering SCPR’s commitment to premium on-demand audio storytelling, podcasts from LAist Studios aim to reflect the ethos of Los Angeles — a forward-looking community built upon unmatched diversity, inclusion, and drive—going beyond geographical borders to connect with listeners around the globe who share the LA state of mind.
About Smorgasburg:
Smorgasburg is a collection of the largest open air food markets in the country, with locations in New York, Los Angeles, and Miami. Smorgasburg L.A. features 80+ food, beverage and shopping vendors curated from the next wave of Southern California’s culinary scene and the best local makers, designers, and vintage collectors. Smorgasburg L.A. combines food, shopping, a family friendly beer garden and more to create a perfect day with friends, family, or colleagues. Called “the city’s great incubator of culinary talent” by the LA Times’ Bill Addison, Smorgasburg LA will celebrate its 8th Anniversary in June of 2024.
PRESS CONTACTS - The Lippin Group for SCPR
Katie Fuchs - New York
kfuchs@lippingroup.com
646-493-0215
Kevin Broderick - Los Angeles
kevin@lippingroup.com
ADDITIONAL CONTACTS - Smorgasburg
Zach Brooks - vendors, Los Angeles market
zach@smorgasburg.com
Negin Singh - corporate, New York and New Jersey markets, charity initiatives
negin@smorgasburg.com
Tatiana Velazquez - photos, social media, marketing
tatiana@smorgasburg.com