WHEN YOU THINK OF BURGERS, it’s not likely that you think of Lebanon. Unless, of course, you’re Omar Mouallem, the director of The Lebanese Burger Mafia. First made as a short film for CBC Gem, Mouallem’s feature-length, crowdfunded documentary premieres at the Hot Docs Festival this spring. Niche in the best way, his film is about Alberta’s cult-favourite fast-food chain Burger Baron, its devoted customers, and the Lebanese families who’ve owned these humble restaurants for decades.
The term “chain” is applied very loosely when it comes to Burger Baron. While all of the restaurants share a name (and the “secret” mushroom sauce, which everyone knows is just Campbell’s cream of mushroom soup), the menus and branding are more of a choose-yourown-adventure approach. Sure, consistency has its merits, but
