Built for Business: Billy Kramer on Building NFA Burger

NFA Burger's gas-station opening began with pop-ups, an introduction to the owner and a pitch that got his attention. Billy had been serving burgers at temporary events when an opportunity emerged to take over the cafe space inside a Dunwoody Chevron.

He remembers asking the owner:

“Wouldn't it be cool if the best burger in the world was made in your gas station?”

Billy Kramer, recalling his pitch

Billy makes clear that he does not expect everyone to agree on the world's best burger. In that meeting, though, he needed to explain what would make his business different.

The owner sent his son to Billy's pop-up at Big Sky. The positive response did not produce an immediate deal, but a few months later the owner called to ask whether Billy wanted to take over the cafe operation. An already-equipped kitchen was an important part of that particular opportunity.

The first days brought a steep learning curve. Billy recalls selling three burgers on day one and 125 on day five. A permanent location also brought different customer expectations from a pop-up, especially around wait times.

Billy says awards can build credibility, but their effect depends on the recognition and the audience it reaches. Industry attention does not automatically translate into the same level of local customer traffic.

For NFA Burger, earning attention is only part of the work. The conversation returns to what happens when someone visits: a consistent burger, a good experience and a reason to come back.

Billy emphasizes predictable time off, flexibility and pay. He describes giving employees room to manage appointments and family responsibilities, and says he has been willing to take less money himself to pay his team more.

His scheduling example is specific to Dunwoody: at the time of the interview, that location was closed on Sundays and Mondays. He distinguishes it from NFA Burger's Avalon location, which operates on a different schedule.

Billy also says his first employee is still with the business. That continuity connects to another theme in the interview: customers knowing what to expect when they return.

“The first bite and the last bite should taste the same.”

Billy Kramer, on burger consistency

Consistency extends beyond the food. Billy talks about recognizing regular customers and remembering their preferences, small details that make a restaurant feel familiar.

Billy identifies people living within roughly three to four miles of NFA Burger as especially important to his business. Visitors and a broad social media following matter, but nearby customers can return regularly.

He points to neighborhood relationships and local media as part of spreading the word. His experience offers a useful distinction for business owners: a large online audience and a dependable local customer base are not the same thing.

For Billy, knowing the area around the restaurant is part of knowing the business. That includes understanding who can stop in again, not just who might follow a burger account from another city.

Billy's advice is to talk with experienced operators and ask about the difficult parts, not just the successes. He describes seeking candid feedback from people who understood restaurant operations before moving forward.

Vendor reliability is one example. When an ingredient or delivery falls short, the customer experiences the problem as the restaurant's responsibility. Billy encourages owners to learn about those realities before they have to handle them themselves.

For more of Billy's story, read his earlier Dunwoody Dialogues interview about taking NFA Burger from pop-up to permanent location

Explore more Dunwoody Dialogues conversations with the people behind the community's businesses and experiences.

NFA Burger began as a burger-focused social media account and pop-up before opening its original location inside a Dunwoody Chevron in 2019. The restaurant now has locations in Dunwoody and at Avalon in Alpharetta. In 2026, NFA Burger's Billy's Classic won the judges' Very Best Burger Award at the South Beach Wine & Food Festival Burger Bash.

Learn more at NFABurger.com.

Built for Business is a special series from Dunwoody Dialogues, produced by Discover Dunwoody. The series connects businesses with practical conversations and local expertise on workforce, marketing, financing, technology, hospitality, real estate and other issues shaping business in the Perimeter market.

Dunwoody Dialogues is hosted by Mark Galvin and produced by Discover Dunwoody.