The idea for a better burger restaurant in Washington Heights was the brainchild of Ramon Pallone, originally from Naples, Italy, who boasts a career in fine dining in Italy, New York, and Dubai. After renting the first Burger Heights location and getting several months into the store’s buildout. Circumstances caused Pallone to turn to his landlord, Michael Vinocur, to buy out his initial partner, and the two haven’t looked back. Vinocur played a major role in rebranding the restaurant to Burger Heights, in deference to the great pride residents take in living in the Heights, something not lost on the restaurant’s loyal customers. Pallone said, “My goal has been to bring my fine dining background to bear on the basic burger, something that hadn’t been seen before in the neighborhood. It’s been really exciting to see how the market has responded to us,” he proudly adds.