Adam Fleischman
Adam Fleischman | |
|---|---|
Fleischman in 2015 | |
| Born | 1969 or 1970 (age 56–57) Queens, New York, U.S. |
| Alma mater | University of Maryland |
| Occupation | Restaurateur |
| Known for | Umami Burger |
Adam Fleischman (born 1969 or 1970)[1] is an American restaurateur who is best known as the founder the Umami Burger chain. He also formed other Los Angeles area boutique and fast casual restaurants, such as PBJ.LA which served unusual combination nut butter and jelly sandwiches; and Slow Burn a pan-Asian smokehouse.
Early life
Fleischman was born in Queens, New York,[2] and grew up in Silver Spring, Maryland. He graduated from the University of Maryland with a liberal arts degree. In 1998, he moved to Los Angeles with aspirations of becoming a screenwriter.[2]
Restaurants
During the 2000s Fleischman was a co-owner of wine bars BottleRock and Vinoteque in Los Angeles.[3][4] He sold his stake, and with the financial freedom it afforded looked for a new food venture.[1]
In 2009, Fleischman founded Umami Burger in Los Angeles.[1][5][6][2] In 2011, SBE Entertainment Group acquired a stake of Umami Burger equal to that of Fleischman's.[7] In 2012, Fleischman partnered with chef Anthony Carron to found 800 Degrees Pizza under the umbrella of the newly formed Umami Restaurant Group, which comprised to the two restaurant chains.[1] In 2014, Fleischman stepped down as CEO of Umami Restaurant Group.[8] In 2016, SBE acquired a majority of Umami Restaurant Group and Fleischman remained as a board member and minority stock holder.[7] At the time, Umami Burger had 24 locations domestically with plans to expand internationally and 800 Degrees had about 6 restaurants.[7][1]
In 2013, Fleischman founded AdVantage Restaurant Partners with friend Lee Weinberg. They collaborated with brand creators to bring restaurants to fruition. As of 2015, these brands included Fat Noddle, Choco Chicken, Chop Daddy's, Smoke.Oil.Salt and Tacoteca.[1]
In 2017, Fleischman opened PBJ.LA in Grand Central Market in Los Angeles, which offered a variety of nut butter and jelly sandwiches.[9] In April 2023, the PBJ.LA official Facebook account posted that the restaurant had closed.[10]
In 2022, Fleischman opened Slow Burn in Echo Park, Los Angeles, a "pan-Asian smokehouse". It closed three weeks after opening without explanation.[11]
Other ventures
Fleischman co-wrote the 2016 cookbook Flavor Bombs: The Umami Ingredients That Make Taste Explode.[12]
Personal life
In 2023, Fleischman was accused of squatting in a Hollywood Hills house. The owner had made an agreement with Fleischman to rent the house for occasional dinner parties as a way to generate revenue - she would provide the house and he would provide clients.[13] However according to Fleischman, he had a verbal agreement to also live there, and because there was no rental agreement, he was not legally required to pay rent.[14] He left only after she was assisted by a professional "squatter remover" by the name of Flash Shelton, founder of Squatter Hunters.[13]
Publications
- Fleischman, Adam; Nguyen, Tien (2018). Flavor Bombs: The Umami Ingredients That Make Taste Explode. Harvest. ISBN 978-0544784895.
References
- ^ a b c d e f Seukunian, Matthew (January 5, 2015). "Adam Fleischman: Trusting the Fifth Dimension of Taste". CSQ. Retrieved February 14, 2019.
- ^ a b c Platt, Adam (May 26, 2013). "Umami Burger Comes to New York, Armed With One Addictive Ingredient". New York. Archived from the original on October 20, 2013.
- ^ Scattergood, Amy (August 7, 2017). "The guy who brought you Umami Burger wants to reinvent PB&J". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved October 6, 2023.
- ^ Garzela, Daniela (May 28, 2013). "Adam Fleischman Takes The Fifth Taste East". Los Angeles Magazine. Retrieved October 6, 2023.
- ^ Gelt, Jessica (August 11, 2011). "Umami Burger's brand sizzles with SBE backing". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on June 7, 2022.
- ^ Goodyear, Dana (December 14, 2011). "All Hail The Umami Burger". The New Yorker. Archived from the original on April 16, 2013.
- ^ a b c "SBE takes majority stake in Umami Burger". Nation's Restaurant News. October 17, 2016. Retrieved February 14, 2019.
- ^ Duerr, Charlie (October 1, 2014). "Umami CEO on building an emerging brand". Nation's Restaurant News. Retrieved December 10, 2025.
- ^ Gray Painter, Alysia (August 25, 2017). "Downtown New: Peanut Butter & Jelly Restaurant". NBCLosAngeles.com. Archived from the original on November 6, 2017.
- ^ "PBJ.LA official". Facebook. December 2, 2025. Retrieved December 13, 2025.
- ^ "Adam Fleischman's New Echo Park Restaurant Only Lasted Three Weeks". Eater LA. Retrieved March 16, 2024.
- ^ "Adam Fleischman". Food & Wine. Retrieved October 6, 2023.
- ^ a b Dillon, Kassy (October 6, 2023). "Why the handyman who turned the tables on squatters confronted a celebrity chef accused of living rent-free". Fox News. Retrieved October 6, 2023.
- ^ Flemming, Jack (March 12, 2024). "Out-squatted: Handyman Flash Shelton will squat with your squatters — until they leave". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 13, 2024.
In the video, Fleischman claims he had a verbal agreement to live in a Hollywood Hills home, giving him rights as a tenant, but that he didn't have to pay rent.