Documentary about ‘rogue’ Burger Baron chain set to premiere

It’s an iconic burger joint in every town that has one: Burger Baron.

Each is a little grimy but in a good way.

The rogue fast-food chain has amassed a cult following and will be detailed in a documentary set to be released at Toronto’s Hot Docs Film Festival in May.

‘The Lebanese Burger Mafia,’ is a crowd-funded feature documentary, telling the tale of a restaurant chain with mysterious origins, and acted as, “a secret pathway to the immigrant dream,” according to the film’s website.

It follows Omar Mouallem, filmmaker and heir to a Burger Baron franchise, as he chases clues at the various hamburger joints, “capturing the trials and tribulations of Arab immigrants and a relentless battle over the burger chain’s trademark rights.”

Despite being a chain, each essentially operates independently. There is little similarity across franchises, with each offering a unique spin on the food.

There are 25 Burger Baron locations scattered across mainly rural Alberta, and just one outside the province, in Kelowna.