Umami Burger Opens Second Bay Area Location in Palo Alto

The popular Umami Burger franchise has once again touched down in the Bay Area, with the opening of its second location in downtown Palo Alto over the weekend.

Friday’s opening marks the 15th location for Umami Burger and founder Adam Fleischman said it was an obvious spot for expansion. “The campus, the energy, there is just a really good synergy in Palo Alto. Plus with all the tech companies, it fits what we are doing as a company, becoming a forward-looking and global brand,” said Fleischman.

Like all the other locations, the Palo Alto spot will have a completely different and unique look and feel. Umami Burger Palo Alto is following in the “school theme” with a library or classroom motif, an ode to the nearby Stanford University campus. Tables that look like desks and bookcases fill the space, which seats about 50 people in total. Fleischman continues that theme with Palo Alto’s signature burger, “The All Nighter,” which features the signature Umami beef patty topped with maple-glazed slab bacon, cheesy tot hash browns and a red eye gravy, something he said is perfect for hungry students.

Previous Coverage: Umami Burger on Union Street in SF

And this is just the start of expansion plans for Fleischman in the Bay Area. The Oakland location is under construction and there is hope that it can be open in 4-5 months. There are also two more projects expected in San Francisco – another Umami Burger which they are working out details of the lease and a yet-to-be-named other project in the city, just the start of expansion with plans for restaurants on the East Coast as well. So what’s the secret to Umami’s success? “I think we are a good brand making a really good product. Each of our restaurants has a really cool design and whether it’s food or ambience, we do things that resonate with people,” Fleischman explains.

Umami Burger Palo Alto is located at 452 University Avenue. Hours are Sunday-Thursday from 11am – 10pm and Friday and Saturday from 11-11.

It's simple. Keith Mizuguchi loves to write and write and write some more. After taking a hiatus from the journalism business, he has rekindled his passion for writing over the last two years, holding a job as both a web and on-air writer for San Francisco news radio station KCBS. While he enjoys the news business, his true passions are twofold: sports and food. Bay Area born and raised, he lives in San Jose, commutes to SF and loves every minute of it. You can follow his food adventures on Twitter @foodie_keith.