The word umami came to mind, a term he had seen on food blogs and in books by British chef Heston Blumenthal.

It was then that Fleischman envisioned the financial potential of expanding on the basic burger and its umami properties.

[8] In 2009, Fleischman went to Mitsuwa Marketplace in West Los Angeles and bought any ingredient he could find with umami properties.

[3][7][8] Located in Los Angeles on South La Brea Avenue,[2] it replaced a failed Korean-taco shop.

[10] The original La Brea location closed in 2013 after its four-year lease expired; the site could only accommodate 60 people and lacked a liquor license, no longer fitting the company's plans.

[15] Their signature Original Burger includes the Parmesan crisp, shiitake mushrooms, roasted tomato, caramelized onions, and a house ketchup.

[19] In May 2017, Umami Burger partnered with Impossible Foods to create the Umami Impossible Burger, an entirely plant-based patty served with caramelized onions, American cheese, miso-mustard, house spread, dill pickles, lettuce, and tomato.