Umami Burger Founder Opens LA’s First Vegan Non-Alcoholic Bar

On Sunday, Adam Fleischman—the founder of chain Umami Burger—plans to open vegan pop-up SourTooth, the first non-alcoholic bar in Los Angeles, inside 100-year-old landmark Yamashiro restaurant. The pop-up—which may become permanent should it prove successful—will feature mocktails such as the coconut milk-based Nina Colada, matcha-infused Japanese Ceremony, and jalapeño-spiked Dragon’s Breath, along with organic sodas, kombucha, and “lubricants” (or superfoods such as ashwagandha, ginseng, and baobab that can be added to any drink). The food menu (playfully called “MeatTooth”) will feature a small selection of dishes developed by Fleischma including burgers, chicken sandwiches, sausages, and potato balls. “I am trying to push myself to create the world’s best vegan burgers and chicken, and other things,” Fleischman said. “It will be a very small, focused menu focused on really high-quality stuff.” Fleischman previously worked on the development of the Impossible Burger which Umami Burger first added to its menu in 2017.