1 00:00:02,000 --> 00:00:07,000 Downloaded from YTS.MX 2 00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:13,000 Official YIFY movies site: YTS.MX 3 00:00:13,247 --> 00:00:14,782 Where's my "Action"? I want an "Action." 4 00:00:14,815 --> 00:00:16,217 OMAR: And, action! 5 00:00:16,250 --> 00:00:18,719 -(FOIL RUSTLING) -(DRUMS PLAYING) 6 00:00:20,454 --> 00:00:22,456 (UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYING) 7 00:00:22,490 --> 00:00:24,825 This one's green. What's going on with this? 8 00:00:26,127 --> 00:00:28,362 OMAR: Meet the Burger Baron superfans. 9 00:00:28,396 --> 00:00:30,431 I invited them here to help me understand 10 00:00:30,464 --> 00:00:32,100 their obsession with the curious, 11 00:00:32,133 --> 00:00:33,301 little fast-food chain 12 00:00:33,334 --> 00:00:35,569 in the heartland of Alberta, Canada. 13 00:00:35,603 --> 00:00:37,105 Is this what you always order? 14 00:00:37,138 --> 00:00:38,972 It's all my favorite things from Burger Baron. 15 00:00:39,006 --> 00:00:41,275 The Mushroom Burger with what I assume 16 00:00:41,309 --> 00:00:42,443 is Campbell's mushroom soup. 17 00:00:42,476 --> 00:00:43,944 I really love the onion rings. 18 00:00:43,977 --> 00:00:45,546 Love the sauce. 19 00:00:45,579 --> 00:00:47,648 Nice, fat, crispy fries. 20 00:00:49,450 --> 00:00:50,918 We just need to be quiet for a minute. 21 00:00:50,951 --> 00:00:52,620 OMAR: Quiet on set. 22 00:00:52,653 --> 00:00:54,122 Lock it down. 23 00:00:54,155 --> 00:00:55,489 I'm eating over here. 24 00:00:56,657 --> 00:00:58,492 Could you describe Burger Baron 25 00:00:58,526 --> 00:01:00,961 to someone who's never heard of it 26 00:01:00,994 --> 00:01:02,863 or been there before? 27 00:01:02,896 --> 00:01:06,234 The broken down, dirtiest... (LAUGHING) 28 00:01:06,267 --> 00:01:08,736 I can't say that, but it's true. 29 00:01:08,769 --> 00:01:11,305 You roll into town and you look 30 00:01:11,339 --> 00:01:12,740 for the dirtiest place 31 00:01:12,773 --> 00:01:15,042 that has a beacon of hope shining on it 32 00:01:15,143 --> 00:01:16,510 with a weird little man. 33 00:01:16,544 --> 00:01:17,711 Go eat that burger. 34 00:01:17,745 --> 00:01:19,313 OMAR: The man on your shirt? 35 00:01:19,347 --> 00:01:21,415 That's right, the dirty little man on my shirt. 36 00:01:21,449 --> 00:01:23,317 What I've noticed about Burger Barons 37 00:01:23,351 --> 00:01:26,687 is that sometimes, they look a bit tatty. 38 00:01:26,720 --> 00:01:28,689 They need a coat of paint. 39 00:01:28,722 --> 00:01:31,725 But they can still put out that darn good Mushroom Burger. 40 00:01:31,759 --> 00:01:33,927 It's like a classic diner burger, 41 00:01:33,961 --> 00:01:35,996 but all of them are gonna be a little bit different 42 00:01:36,029 --> 00:01:37,298 because of the way 43 00:01:37,331 --> 00:01:40,000 they've all drifted apart from each other. 44 00:01:40,033 --> 00:01:42,503 The best part about Burger Baron is the people. 45 00:01:42,536 --> 00:01:43,937 They've always been very polite, 46 00:01:43,971 --> 00:01:48,176 friendly, enthusiastic, and willing to go the extra bit. 47 00:01:48,209 --> 00:01:50,678 OMAR: That looks pretty good. Can I have a bite of that? 48 00:01:50,711 --> 00:01:52,480 -Absolutely. Sure. -Yeah? 49 00:01:53,781 --> 00:01:55,549 Sorry, guys. 50 00:01:55,583 --> 00:01:57,218 We can do this. We're bubbled up. 51 00:01:57,251 --> 00:01:58,286 This is my dad. 52 00:01:58,319 --> 00:02:00,188 -Childcare. -Yep. 53 00:02:00,188 --> 00:02:01,989 OMAR: Actually, that's my father-in-law. 54 00:02:02,790 --> 00:02:04,358 This is my dad. 55 00:02:04,992 --> 00:02:06,527 That's my mom. 56 00:02:06,560 --> 00:02:08,796 And this is the grand opening 57 00:02:08,829 --> 00:02:10,564 of the Burger Baron in High Prairie. 58 00:02:11,299 --> 00:02:12,333 Our Burger Baron. 59 00:02:13,066 --> 00:02:14,235 (MAN SPEAKING) 60 00:02:18,206 --> 00:02:19,373 (APPLAUDING) 61 00:02:19,407 --> 00:02:20,841 The restaurant changed our lives forever. 62 00:02:20,874 --> 00:02:22,343 It moved us up from the working class 63 00:02:22,376 --> 00:02:23,711 to the middle class, 64 00:02:23,744 --> 00:02:25,779 and made it possible for my parents to live out 65 00:02:25,813 --> 00:02:28,216 the immigrant dream in Canada. 66 00:02:28,216 --> 00:02:30,684 That's me in the middle. 67 00:02:30,718 --> 00:02:33,221 As you can tell, I really loved the food. 68 00:02:36,490 --> 00:02:38,859 It wasn't until I got older that I realized 69 00:02:38,892 --> 00:02:41,429 my parents weren't the only Barons on the Prairies. 70 00:02:42,530 --> 00:02:43,697 There were dozens of them 71 00:02:43,731 --> 00:02:46,634 spread around small town Alberta. 72 00:02:46,667 --> 00:02:49,670 And other than that one Mushroom Burger everyone loved, 73 00:02:49,703 --> 00:02:51,839 they didn't seem to have anything in common. 74 00:02:52,673 --> 00:02:54,007 Except for one thing. 75 00:02:54,842 --> 00:02:58,379 All of them, every single one, 76 00:02:58,412 --> 00:03:00,614 was owned by Lebanese immigrants like my parents. 77 00:03:02,783 --> 00:03:04,518 (RHYTHMIC MUSIC PLAYING) 78 00:03:34,282 --> 00:03:36,183 ROCKY: The minute you say you have a Burger Baron, 79 00:03:36,284 --> 00:03:38,652 the first thing anybody will ask, "Are you Lebanese?" 80 00:03:38,686 --> 00:03:40,521 Nobody really knows who the owner is. 81 00:03:40,554 --> 00:03:41,822 The Lebanese people came, 82 00:03:41,855 --> 00:03:44,525 took it, and made it the company that it is. 83 00:03:44,558 --> 00:03:46,294 Is it cultural appropriation? 84 00:03:46,294 --> 00:03:47,928 I don't know. It doesn't say Burger Sheikh, 85 00:03:47,961 --> 00:03:50,531 -so... -(LAUGHING) 86 00:03:50,564 --> 00:03:51,699 (MUSIC CONTINUES) 87 00:03:58,071 --> 00:04:00,574 OMAR: It's one of the most recognizable 88 00:04:00,608 --> 00:04:02,209 and beloved brands in the Prairie Province 89 00:04:02,310 --> 00:04:03,544 of Alberta, 90 00:04:03,577 --> 00:04:07,014 with over 25 completely independent locations 91 00:04:07,047 --> 00:04:09,049 spreading from north to south, 92 00:04:09,082 --> 00:04:10,951 and one in BC. 93 00:04:10,984 --> 00:04:12,420 "The Burger Baron restaurants 94 00:04:12,453 --> 00:04:15,556 "that were and are landmarks across the prairies." 95 00:04:15,589 --> 00:04:18,759 Alberta is known for ranching, rednecks, 96 00:04:18,792 --> 00:04:20,794 jacked-up pickup trucks, 97 00:04:20,828 --> 00:04:23,397 but then there's all these Burger Baron stores 98 00:04:23,431 --> 00:04:26,133 that are run by Lebanese families. 99 00:04:26,166 --> 00:04:28,869 There was people, I'm sure, that thought maybe 100 00:04:28,902 --> 00:04:30,338 we were doing something illegal. 101 00:04:30,338 --> 00:04:32,039 It's almost like the burger mafia. 102 00:04:32,072 --> 00:04:34,642 OMAR: Their penchants for big houses and nice cars 103 00:04:34,675 --> 00:04:37,378 might make the barons look like mafioso, 104 00:04:37,411 --> 00:04:39,380 but if there's one thing this mob isn't, 105 00:04:39,413 --> 00:04:40,948 it's organized. 106 00:04:40,981 --> 00:04:42,883 There is no actual system. 107 00:04:42,916 --> 00:04:45,118 Everybody's kind of doing their own thing 108 00:04:45,152 --> 00:04:46,620 with Burger Baron. 109 00:04:46,654 --> 00:04:49,256 OMAR: Which might explain how it became more of a meme 110 00:04:49,357 --> 00:04:50,358 than franchise. 111 00:04:55,696 --> 00:04:56,997 So what's going on here? 112 00:04:57,030 --> 00:04:59,800 How did a loose network of Arab immigrants 113 00:04:59,833 --> 00:05:02,903 become a cabal of burger impresarios? 114 00:05:02,936 --> 00:05:05,238 It's a territorial business. 115 00:05:05,272 --> 00:05:07,675 My Burger Baron's better than his Burger Baron. 116 00:05:07,708 --> 00:05:09,543 My dad is Burger Baron. 117 00:05:09,577 --> 00:05:11,379 OMAR: Your dad is Burger Baron? 118 00:05:11,412 --> 00:05:13,714 -No, my dad is Burger Baron. -No, my dad. 119 00:05:13,747 --> 00:05:15,082 My dad was Burger Baron 120 00:05:15,115 --> 00:05:16,584 before your dad was Burger Baron. 121 00:05:16,617 --> 00:05:17,851 (MUSIC CONTINUES) 122 00:05:28,896 --> 00:05:30,598 OMAR: It was once an international brand 123 00:05:30,631 --> 00:05:33,266 with more than 100 locations in its history 124 00:05:33,300 --> 00:05:36,103 spread across 11 provinces in the States. 125 00:05:36,136 --> 00:05:38,472 And there was even one in Lebanon. 126 00:05:39,807 --> 00:05:42,075 But the Burger Baron's heyday is no more. 127 00:05:44,645 --> 00:05:46,079 Even before the pandemic turned 128 00:05:46,113 --> 00:05:48,416 the restaurant business upside down, 129 00:05:48,416 --> 00:05:50,584 Burger Barons were closing at a steady clip. 130 00:05:50,618 --> 00:05:53,086 They need somebody to take over the business 131 00:05:53,120 --> 00:05:54,688 who is enthusiastic about it. 132 00:05:54,722 --> 00:05:56,890 This Burger Baron will not be passed down to me. 133 00:05:56,924 --> 00:05:58,191 -I can guarantee you that. -(LAUGHS) 134 00:05:58,225 --> 00:05:59,259 Or my brother. 135 00:05:59,292 --> 00:06:00,661 I am sure they will die off. 136 00:06:00,694 --> 00:06:03,797 Twenty years from now, maybe we'll have one left. 137 00:06:03,831 --> 00:06:05,165 (MUSIC CONTINUES) 138 00:06:09,737 --> 00:06:11,505 OMAR: With the rise of big-box chains 139 00:06:11,539 --> 00:06:12,940 and foodie culture, 140 00:06:12,973 --> 00:06:15,809 and a second generation chasing their own dreams, 141 00:06:15,843 --> 00:06:18,311 is there really a future for the Burger Baron? 142 00:06:34,462 --> 00:06:37,330 -(SWITCHES CLICKING) -(EQUIPMENT HUMMING) 143 00:06:42,503 --> 00:06:44,972 OMAR: Kelly Saab interview, take one. 144 00:06:45,005 --> 00:06:47,240 (MUSICAL TONE SOUNDING) 145 00:06:47,274 --> 00:06:48,375 So you're gonna be looking at... 146 00:06:48,476 --> 00:06:49,477 Looking at me. 147 00:06:54,582 --> 00:06:55,583 There we go, man. 148 00:06:57,851 --> 00:06:59,587 OMAR: Kelly Saab interview, take two. 149 00:07:00,821 --> 00:07:02,490 I'm the owner of the Burger Baron 150 00:07:02,490 --> 00:07:03,757 in Rocky Mountain House. 151 00:07:03,791 --> 00:07:07,661 I got this business around 2015. 152 00:07:07,695 --> 00:07:12,065 We went through a rough road due to the economy, 153 00:07:12,099 --> 00:07:14,067 -recession, neglection. -CUSTOMER: Thank you. 154 00:07:14,101 --> 00:07:16,003 And it wasn't in great shape 155 00:07:16,036 --> 00:07:19,507 so I had to work it out all the way from scratch. 156 00:07:21,542 --> 00:07:26,614 I graduated in Beirut in hospitality management, 157 00:07:26,647 --> 00:07:28,982 and I worked in different places down there, 158 00:07:30,518 --> 00:07:31,819 but this business needs 159 00:07:31,852 --> 00:07:35,122 sort of a stability in the country. 160 00:07:35,155 --> 00:07:36,690 (LOUD SHOT BANGING) 161 00:07:37,625 --> 00:07:38,826 When the war started, 162 00:07:38,859 --> 00:07:40,961 we were just in the middle 163 00:07:40,994 --> 00:07:43,697 of the peak time of the night at the nightclub. 164 00:07:43,731 --> 00:07:44,998 REPORTER: After years of calm, 165 00:07:45,032 --> 00:07:47,267 Israel assaulted the Lebanese capital 166 00:07:47,300 --> 00:07:50,604 with air missiles in retaliation for a guerrilla attack 167 00:07:50,638 --> 00:07:52,973 that killed eight Jewish soldiers. 168 00:07:53,006 --> 00:07:55,909 KELLY: Everything was just gone in seconds. 169 00:07:56,677 --> 00:07:58,546 One of my cousins 170 00:07:58,579 --> 00:08:02,049 knows some people that live in Edmonton, 171 00:08:02,082 --> 00:08:04,718 and they have a couple of successful restaurants 172 00:08:04,752 --> 00:08:07,254 and they were hiring people from overseas. 173 00:08:07,287 --> 00:08:09,557 They got my number and then they contacted me, 174 00:08:09,557 --> 00:08:13,093 and we did all the paperwork needed, 175 00:08:13,126 --> 00:08:14,962 and I got approved. 176 00:08:14,995 --> 00:08:16,363 (SPEAKING ARABIC) 177 00:08:16,396 --> 00:08:18,398 OMAR: Little did Kelly know he'd been invited 178 00:08:18,431 --> 00:08:22,202 to learn the trade secrets of the Lebanese burger mafia. 179 00:08:22,235 --> 00:08:24,805 It was basically destiny that one day 180 00:08:24,838 --> 00:08:26,473 he would have his own Burger Baron. 181 00:08:26,574 --> 00:08:29,710 Why do you think it's Lebanese dominated? 182 00:08:29,743 --> 00:08:32,646 It was owned by maybe two, three brothers 183 00:08:32,680 --> 00:08:34,381 and some cousins 184 00:08:34,414 --> 00:08:38,451 or friends opening their own in different towns. 185 00:08:38,485 --> 00:08:42,489 And that's how it's turned to be all Lebanese. 186 00:08:42,590 --> 00:08:43,991 OMAR: Kelly's not wrong. 187 00:08:44,024 --> 00:08:46,059 It did start with two or three brothers, 188 00:08:46,093 --> 00:08:48,261 and some cousins, or some friends. 189 00:08:48,295 --> 00:08:50,430 And they were immigrants, just not Lebanese. 190 00:08:50,463 --> 00:08:51,665 They were Americans. 191 00:08:51,699 --> 00:08:54,167 Irish-Americans, named the McDonnells. 192 00:08:54,201 --> 00:08:55,836 That's McDonnell. 193 00:08:58,271 --> 00:08:59,773 TERRY: My name is Terry McDonnell. 194 00:08:59,807 --> 00:09:02,375 I'm the son of Jack McDonnell 195 00:09:02,409 --> 00:09:04,845 who started the Burger Baron in Canada. 196 00:09:04,878 --> 00:09:09,449 I've heard different stories about "They've started it." 197 00:09:10,183 --> 00:09:11,919 It infuriates me. 198 00:09:12,953 --> 00:09:14,521 It's just not true. 199 00:09:14,622 --> 00:09:16,890 It's not even close to it. 200 00:09:16,924 --> 00:09:20,260 It's just an out-and-out lie, and I don't like it. 201 00:09:20,293 --> 00:09:24,231 That's not the case. My dad started that. Period. 202 00:09:24,264 --> 00:09:26,166 He had a lot of different businesses 203 00:09:26,199 --> 00:09:27,234 over the years. 204 00:09:27,267 --> 00:09:29,236 When I was very little, 205 00:09:29,269 --> 00:09:31,271 the family went up to Alaska, 206 00:09:31,304 --> 00:09:34,107 and he was building homes for the government. 207 00:09:34,141 --> 00:09:37,077 He had a lumber yard in Great Falls. 208 00:09:37,110 --> 00:09:39,546 He was always on a new idea. 209 00:09:39,647 --> 00:09:42,683 There was a place in Great Falls, Montana, 210 00:09:42,716 --> 00:09:44,417 called the Burger Master. 211 00:09:44,451 --> 00:09:48,656 It was my dad's inspiration. 212 00:09:48,656 --> 00:09:50,691 And he went and talked to them about it. 213 00:09:50,724 --> 00:09:52,893 He said, "I want to do something in Canada. 214 00:09:52,926 --> 00:09:54,662 "Would you guys show me how to do this?" 215 00:09:54,662 --> 00:09:56,697 He spent a couple of weeks with them 216 00:09:56,730 --> 00:09:57,998 and just learning the ropes, 217 00:09:58,031 --> 00:10:00,600 and then decided to move from there to Calgary. 218 00:10:02,302 --> 00:10:05,205 JUDY: The fast food era goes back a long way. 219 00:10:05,238 --> 00:10:08,909 It was when the car became important. 220 00:10:08,942 --> 00:10:11,278 Not just one car in the family, either, 221 00:10:11,311 --> 00:10:13,881 but two cars, more cars. 222 00:10:13,914 --> 00:10:17,550 That's what drove the fast food era. 223 00:10:17,584 --> 00:10:19,319 It was easy. 224 00:10:19,352 --> 00:10:23,456 It was relatively inexpensive to get burgers for everybody, 225 00:10:23,490 --> 00:10:25,225 and everybody could find what they wanted. 226 00:10:25,258 --> 00:10:28,896 I mean, find me a child that doesn't like French fries. 227 00:10:28,929 --> 00:10:32,232 We all love French fries. And burgers. 228 00:10:32,265 --> 00:10:35,568 OMAR: By 1957, a new McDonald's was opening 229 00:10:35,602 --> 00:10:37,437 every two weeks in America, 230 00:10:37,470 --> 00:10:40,340 more than tripling from just the previous year. 231 00:10:40,373 --> 00:10:42,910 On track to have 100 golden arches up 232 00:10:42,943 --> 00:10:44,244 by the end of the decade, 233 00:10:44,277 --> 00:10:45,612 Jack saw an opportunity 234 00:10:45,645 --> 00:10:47,647 to build the McDonald's of the north. 235 00:10:47,681 --> 00:10:52,085 There weren't a lot of fast foods up there, then. 236 00:10:52,119 --> 00:10:54,321 When he first built the Burger Baron in Calgary, 237 00:10:54,354 --> 00:10:55,856 the first one, 238 00:10:55,889 --> 00:10:58,425 he went to a sign company and said, "I've got this place, 239 00:10:58,458 --> 00:11:00,994 "the Burger Baron, and I'm gonna need signs." 240 00:11:01,028 --> 00:11:02,162 And the guy said, 241 00:11:02,195 --> 00:11:04,231 "Well, do want me to design one for you?" 242 00:11:04,264 --> 00:11:06,734 And Dad said, "Yeah, by all means." 243 00:11:06,734 --> 00:11:09,002 So he then drew up the Baron, 244 00:11:09,036 --> 00:11:13,106 the little fat guy, colorful, smiley-faced Baron, 245 00:11:13,140 --> 00:11:14,942 and stuck with it. 246 00:11:14,975 --> 00:11:17,745 OMAR: Jack was so confident that he had the next McDonald's 247 00:11:17,745 --> 00:11:20,280 that he simultaneously built a second location 248 00:11:20,313 --> 00:11:22,549 200 kilometers away in Lethbridge 249 00:11:22,582 --> 00:11:25,585 and brought his brother Mandy up from Montana to run it. 250 00:11:25,618 --> 00:11:27,587 They opened them on the same day. 251 00:11:27,620 --> 00:11:30,223 TERRY: They had a five or six-speaker system. 252 00:11:30,257 --> 00:11:31,591 (WOMAN OVER PA SYSTEM) May I take your order? 253 00:11:31,624 --> 00:11:32,926 And then, past that, 254 00:11:32,960 --> 00:11:36,764 was another six or seven capacity 255 00:11:36,797 --> 00:11:38,298 in the lineup for cars. 256 00:11:38,331 --> 00:11:41,769 It would have been two or three-blocks-long, at least, 257 00:11:41,769 --> 00:11:43,436 until they closed at midnight. 258 00:11:43,470 --> 00:11:44,604 It was neat to know 259 00:11:44,637 --> 00:11:46,606 that this was happening to our family, 260 00:11:47,775 --> 00:11:50,043 this, uh, big success. 261 00:11:50,077 --> 00:11:51,945 OMAR: Jack invited more relatives up 262 00:11:51,979 --> 00:11:53,781 to run his burger joints. 263 00:11:53,781 --> 00:11:55,415 And when he ran out of family members 264 00:11:55,448 --> 00:11:56,950 to go into business with him, 265 00:11:56,984 --> 00:11:58,886 he took his next big step. 266 00:11:58,919 --> 00:12:01,388 TERRY: The financial statements were so strong, 267 00:12:01,421 --> 00:12:04,057 it was just easy to sell franchises. 268 00:12:05,225 --> 00:12:07,394 In the '50s and '60s, it really was. 269 00:12:07,427 --> 00:12:09,396 Everybody knew the Burger Baron. 270 00:12:09,429 --> 00:12:11,031 -(STADIUM NOISES) -OMAR: It was a phenomenon 271 00:12:11,064 --> 00:12:13,066 with its own championship baseball team, 272 00:12:13,100 --> 00:12:15,903 race team, beauty pageant contestant 273 00:12:15,936 --> 00:12:17,905 -and quite possibly... -(WHISTLE) 274 00:12:17,938 --> 00:12:20,373 ...the world's biggest burger on order. 275 00:12:20,407 --> 00:12:23,877 TERRY: The sauce, that was one of the secrets. 276 00:12:23,911 --> 00:12:26,679 He didn't give it out to anybody, 277 00:12:26,713 --> 00:12:28,615 not even the franchisees. 278 00:12:30,951 --> 00:12:33,586 They would supply each of the restaurants 279 00:12:33,620 --> 00:12:35,088 with the Baron sauce, 280 00:12:35,122 --> 00:12:37,424 and so the recipe wasn't on the can. 281 00:12:38,826 --> 00:12:40,560 OMAR: With McDonald's still a decade away 282 00:12:40,593 --> 00:12:42,095 from opening in Canada, 283 00:12:42,129 --> 00:12:43,530 Burger Baron might have been 284 00:12:43,563 --> 00:12:45,966 the fastest-growing restaurant chain in the country. 285 00:12:46,867 --> 00:12:48,068 In just over three years, 286 00:12:48,101 --> 00:12:49,702 it grew to have 30 locations 287 00:12:49,736 --> 00:12:51,738 in six provinces and two states. 288 00:12:53,373 --> 00:12:55,008 But not everyone wanted a Burger Baron 289 00:12:55,042 --> 00:12:56,076 in their backyard. 290 00:13:01,114 --> 00:13:02,415 MAN 1: We'd hang around there 291 00:13:02,449 --> 00:13:03,851 and see if we could meet ladies, 292 00:13:03,851 --> 00:13:05,252 or there'd likely to be a fight 293 00:13:05,285 --> 00:13:06,920 or something you could watch or get in, so... 294 00:13:06,954 --> 00:13:09,122 We had an opportunity to meet The Who 295 00:13:09,156 --> 00:13:10,357 when they were on a tour. 296 00:13:10,390 --> 00:13:12,926 And we wound up taking Keith Moon 297 00:13:12,960 --> 00:13:15,128 and the road manager of The Who 298 00:13:15,162 --> 00:13:16,529 out to the Burger Baron. 299 00:13:16,563 --> 00:13:18,932 We were kind of long-haired hippies 300 00:13:18,966 --> 00:13:20,167 and these two carloads 301 00:13:20,200 --> 00:13:22,870 of what we called "Grease-balls" came in, 302 00:13:22,870 --> 00:13:25,105 and for some reason, Keith Moon wanted 303 00:13:25,138 --> 00:13:26,173 to go pick a fight 304 00:13:26,206 --> 00:13:28,275 with these two (LAUGHING) carloads 305 00:13:28,308 --> 00:13:30,610 full of these local guys. 306 00:13:30,643 --> 00:13:33,680 "This is not a good idea." (LAUGHING) 307 00:13:33,713 --> 00:13:35,015 Maybe in England, 308 00:13:35,048 --> 00:13:36,716 but if we try that, we're gonna get stomped out. 309 00:13:36,749 --> 00:13:38,185 (LAUGHS) 310 00:13:38,218 --> 00:13:40,487 OMAR: Whether it was litter or toxic masculinity, 311 00:13:40,520 --> 00:13:43,156 people were quick to forget about all that riff-raff 312 00:13:43,190 --> 00:13:45,292 once they had a taste of Jack McDonnell's 313 00:13:45,325 --> 00:13:47,694 secret Mushroom Burger and sauce. 314 00:13:47,727 --> 00:13:51,531 The company introduced it on Valentine's Day, 1961, 315 00:13:51,564 --> 00:13:53,901 and it was love at first sight. 316 00:13:53,901 --> 00:13:56,736 JUDY: The first time I wrote about Burger Baron, 317 00:13:56,769 --> 00:13:58,906 I had been given an assignment 318 00:13:58,906 --> 00:14:03,043 to go out and gather up three or five burgers, 319 00:14:03,076 --> 00:14:04,244 bring them back to the Journal, 320 00:14:04,277 --> 00:14:06,313 and we would test them for quality. 321 00:14:06,346 --> 00:14:08,415 So off I went in my little Ford Pinto. 322 00:14:08,448 --> 00:14:10,283 I would have had maybe a McDonald's burger, 323 00:14:10,317 --> 00:14:11,784 likely an A&W, 324 00:14:11,818 --> 00:14:14,287 and I needed one more. 325 00:14:14,321 --> 00:14:17,925 So, whatever burger joint I drive past, that's it. 326 00:14:17,925 --> 00:14:20,493 It happened to be a Burger Baron. 327 00:14:20,527 --> 00:14:23,931 And I sailed in and ordered the Mushroom Burger, 328 00:14:23,931 --> 00:14:26,099 and the Mushroom Burger won, hands down. 329 00:14:26,133 --> 00:14:29,336 I have to say, it was the sauce. 330 00:14:29,369 --> 00:14:32,339 That mushroom sauce is important. 331 00:14:32,372 --> 00:14:34,641 It's iconic. 332 00:14:34,674 --> 00:14:36,743 First time I tasted that mushroom sauce, 333 00:14:36,776 --> 00:14:38,811 I was eight years old again, 334 00:14:38,845 --> 00:14:40,313 back in my mom's kitchen, 335 00:14:40,347 --> 00:14:43,183 and I can see her opening that can of mushroom soup. 336 00:14:54,861 --> 00:14:56,796 I'm mad for these Mushroom Burgers. 337 00:15:03,236 --> 00:15:05,605 TERRY: My father made mistakes, 338 00:15:05,638 --> 00:15:07,674 and some were big ones. 339 00:15:07,707 --> 00:15:10,210 Number one, moving way too fast. 340 00:15:10,243 --> 00:15:12,412 Number two, training staff. 341 00:15:12,445 --> 00:15:16,349 He didn't train the new franchisees well enough, 342 00:15:16,383 --> 00:15:18,685 and the franchisees 343 00:15:18,718 --> 00:15:21,521 didn't train their staff well enough. 344 00:15:21,554 --> 00:15:24,024 And that was a big problem. 345 00:15:24,057 --> 00:15:27,794 There is a company that we call a franchisor. 346 00:15:27,827 --> 00:15:31,264 So they're the ones who have the secret processes 347 00:15:31,298 --> 00:15:33,466 or the trademark or what have you. 348 00:15:33,500 --> 00:15:38,205 And they sell the rights to use those to a franchisee. 349 00:15:38,238 --> 00:15:41,141 And the franchisee then gets to use 350 00:15:41,174 --> 00:15:42,475 the secret processes. 351 00:15:42,509 --> 00:15:45,545 Maybe it's the secret Mushroom Burger recipe, 352 00:15:45,578 --> 00:15:47,314 they get to use the logo. 353 00:15:47,347 --> 00:15:48,548 And in exchange for that, 354 00:15:48,581 --> 00:15:51,784 they have to pay either a regular fee 355 00:15:51,818 --> 00:15:54,321 or usually part of their profits to the franchisor. 356 00:15:54,354 --> 00:15:57,224 And they also have to maintain certain standards. 357 00:15:57,257 --> 00:15:59,292 The restaurants weren't run properly. 358 00:15:59,326 --> 00:16:02,495 The franchisees would add menu items. 359 00:16:02,529 --> 00:16:06,899 Then you get a lot of menu items and then the speed goes down. 360 00:16:06,933 --> 00:16:08,635 Quality isn't the same. 361 00:16:08,668 --> 00:16:10,837 OMAR: Jack had lost focus on the two things 362 00:16:10,870 --> 00:16:12,839 that made it an immediate success. 363 00:16:12,872 --> 00:16:15,242 Good food and fast service. 364 00:16:15,275 --> 00:16:17,744 He invested all his energy into the brand, 365 00:16:17,777 --> 00:16:20,513 co-signing on expansions in major cities 366 00:16:20,547 --> 00:16:23,650 with franchisees who couldn't afford it on their own. 367 00:16:23,683 --> 00:16:25,918 All because he wanted to beat the other big chains 368 00:16:25,952 --> 00:16:27,254 to the punch. 369 00:16:27,287 --> 00:16:29,889 Betting on making Burger Baron a household name, 370 00:16:29,922 --> 00:16:33,360 Jack put his last chips on two Montreal locations. 371 00:16:33,393 --> 00:16:34,594 And when they went down, 372 00:16:34,627 --> 00:16:36,863 Jack was on the hook with creditors. 373 00:16:36,896 --> 00:16:38,831 ANNA: The Burger Baron companies 374 00:16:38,865 --> 00:16:41,234 had gone through a bankruptcy process 375 00:16:41,268 --> 00:16:43,370 and voluntary liquidation under the Companies Act. 376 00:16:43,403 --> 00:16:46,773 TERRY: I don't remember any legal matters. 377 00:16:46,806 --> 00:16:48,575 When they divorced, 378 00:16:48,608 --> 00:16:51,678 Mom and my sister and I moved to Lethbridge. 379 00:16:51,711 --> 00:16:54,381 So, I assume that's when it was all starting. 380 00:16:54,414 --> 00:16:57,250 Maybe he was embarrassed or ashamed. 381 00:16:57,284 --> 00:16:59,752 You know, everything was falling down. 382 00:16:59,786 --> 00:17:03,590 With the franchise, it had intellectual properties 383 00:17:03,623 --> 00:17:05,692 such as the little Baron. 384 00:17:05,725 --> 00:17:07,760 And the name, of course. 385 00:17:07,794 --> 00:17:10,430 Those are intellectual properties 386 00:17:10,463 --> 00:17:11,798 that you protect. 387 00:17:11,831 --> 00:17:13,933 And without protecting it, 388 00:17:13,966 --> 00:17:15,835 people are gonna try and use it. 389 00:17:15,868 --> 00:17:19,806 You have to sue to enforce intellectual property. 390 00:17:19,839 --> 00:17:23,110 But if the company that has the right to sue 391 00:17:23,110 --> 00:17:25,778 for trademark infringement, no longer exists, 392 00:17:25,812 --> 00:17:28,448 and that IP hasn't been transferred 393 00:17:28,481 --> 00:17:30,183 to some other entity, 394 00:17:30,217 --> 00:17:32,119 then you're in a situation 395 00:17:32,119 --> 00:17:35,021 where everybody can use that IP, 396 00:17:35,122 --> 00:17:37,790 and there's nobody who is going to be enforcing 397 00:17:37,824 --> 00:17:41,194 their right to exclusive use of that logo or that name. 398 00:17:41,228 --> 00:17:42,562 In fact, at that point, 399 00:17:42,595 --> 00:17:47,167 Dad gave all of them the recipe to the sauce, 400 00:17:47,200 --> 00:17:51,871 and he didn't charge 'em any franchise fees anymore. 401 00:17:52,539 --> 00:17:54,040 Without that recipe, 402 00:17:54,141 --> 00:17:56,543 they'd all've been in a lot of trouble. 403 00:17:56,576 --> 00:17:58,578 OMAR: By finally sharing his secret processes 404 00:17:58,611 --> 00:18:00,147 with the other Barons, 405 00:18:00,147 --> 00:18:03,150 he'd given them legal permission to keep the brand alive. 406 00:18:03,816 --> 00:18:05,452 But in the mid '60s, 407 00:18:05,485 --> 00:18:07,487 as McDonald's, Burger King and Wendy's 408 00:18:07,520 --> 00:18:09,989 prepared aggressive expansions into Canada, 409 00:18:10,022 --> 00:18:11,324 the writing was on the wall. 410 00:18:12,359 --> 00:18:13,826 The chain couldn't survive 411 00:18:13,860 --> 00:18:16,963 without someone who cared about it as much as Jack. 412 00:18:16,996 --> 00:18:18,965 It needed a white knight in shining armor, 413 00:18:18,998 --> 00:18:20,867 but it got a brown knight instead. 414 00:18:23,536 --> 00:18:25,438 (RUDY SPEAKING) 415 00:18:44,391 --> 00:18:46,526 FILM NARRATOR: Six thousand feet above sea level, 416 00:18:46,559 --> 00:18:48,195 in the land of Lebanon, 417 00:18:48,195 --> 00:18:50,597 stand the world-famous cedar trees, 418 00:18:50,630 --> 00:18:52,199 the emblem of the country 419 00:18:52,199 --> 00:18:53,833 and one of its most precious relics. 420 00:18:54,901 --> 00:18:56,203 (RUDY SPEAKING) 421 00:19:28,968 --> 00:19:31,871 OMAR: The Middle East's Paris was starting to unravel 422 00:19:31,904 --> 00:19:34,474 as the country struggled with influxes of refugees 423 00:19:34,507 --> 00:19:36,809 and rebel factions. 424 00:19:36,843 --> 00:19:38,245 Rudy and his younger brother Sal 425 00:19:38,245 --> 00:19:40,413 wanted out before things worsened. 426 00:19:40,447 --> 00:19:42,982 But most of all, they just wanted to go 427 00:19:43,015 --> 00:19:44,251 to the Western Promised Land. 428 00:19:45,952 --> 00:19:47,254 SAL: I thought the West 429 00:19:47,254 --> 00:19:50,323 is the exact perfection of humanity. 430 00:19:50,357 --> 00:19:52,725 This is how strong Hollywood is. 431 00:19:52,759 --> 00:19:55,262 OMAR: The brothers' only connection to North America 432 00:19:55,295 --> 00:19:56,829 was an uncle in Saskatchewan 433 00:19:56,863 --> 00:20:00,267 who'd migrated decades earlier in the 1920s, 434 00:20:00,300 --> 00:20:02,134 following thousands of other Lebanese 435 00:20:02,168 --> 00:20:04,003 in the North American prairies, 436 00:20:04,036 --> 00:20:06,939 living as homesteaders, fur traders 437 00:20:06,973 --> 00:20:08,675 and, most of all, peddlers. 438 00:20:08,708 --> 00:20:13,012 They had small carts drawn by horses. 439 00:20:13,045 --> 00:20:15,415 They were selling different kinds 440 00:20:15,448 --> 00:20:17,817 of grains, cloth 441 00:20:17,850 --> 00:20:20,620 and trinkets of all kinds. 442 00:20:20,653 --> 00:20:24,391 That Levantine ethic emphasizes independence. 443 00:20:26,058 --> 00:20:31,798 It's an ethic that emphasizes capitalistic enterprise. 444 00:20:31,831 --> 00:20:34,467 They went into business for themselves. 445 00:20:34,501 --> 00:20:36,436 OMAR: For the Lebanese prairie peddlers, 446 00:20:36,469 --> 00:20:39,038 the destination was always the same. 447 00:20:39,071 --> 00:20:41,140 They worked until they saved enough to open 448 00:20:41,173 --> 00:20:42,241 a permanent business, 449 00:20:42,275 --> 00:20:43,810 and start bringing family members 450 00:20:43,843 --> 00:20:45,111 out west, from Lebanon, 451 00:20:45,144 --> 00:20:47,213 a process of chain migration 452 00:20:47,246 --> 00:20:49,215 that created some of North America's 453 00:20:49,248 --> 00:20:51,217 oldest Arab communities today. 454 00:20:51,250 --> 00:20:53,185 One of the things I found really interesting 455 00:20:53,219 --> 00:20:54,487 about Lebanese people 456 00:20:54,521 --> 00:20:56,356 who've been in the province over 100 years, 457 00:20:56,389 --> 00:20:57,690 have been integral 458 00:20:57,724 --> 00:21:00,159 to a number of different communities here. 459 00:21:00,192 --> 00:21:03,596 And it shows some of the challenges 460 00:21:03,630 --> 00:21:04,864 that not only they, 461 00:21:04,897 --> 00:21:06,966 but other immigrant communities have faced 462 00:21:06,999 --> 00:21:09,101 in terms of providing 463 00:21:09,135 --> 00:21:10,870 for themselves financially, right? 464 00:21:10,903 --> 00:21:14,974 I mean, you look at the history of restaurants on the prairies, 465 00:21:15,007 --> 00:21:18,945 and you see immigrant groups who have been excluded 466 00:21:18,978 --> 00:21:22,915 from more mainstream routes to financial success. 467 00:21:22,949 --> 00:21:24,651 Starting with Chinese restaurants, 468 00:21:24,684 --> 00:21:26,052 Lebanese restaurants. 469 00:21:26,085 --> 00:21:28,421 How many small towns have little Greek restaurants? 470 00:21:29,121 --> 00:21:30,423 (RUDY SPEAKING) 471 00:21:45,004 --> 00:21:48,375 When I came to Saskatchewan, and I said to myself, 472 00:21:48,375 --> 00:21:50,009 "What the devil am I doing here? 473 00:21:50,042 --> 00:21:52,512 "There's nothing like what I saw in the movies." 474 00:21:52,545 --> 00:21:54,981 And it was like you would... 475 00:21:55,014 --> 00:21:57,149 A heavy heart, like you wouldn't believe. 476 00:21:59,852 --> 00:22:01,588 He worked with my uncle for a while 477 00:22:01,621 --> 00:22:03,856 and I only stayed there for about three months. 478 00:22:03,890 --> 00:22:06,025 When I came to Calgary, I felt better, 479 00:22:06,058 --> 00:22:07,627 but not that much better. 480 00:22:19,972 --> 00:22:21,774 It was the first job in Winnipeg 481 00:22:21,808 --> 00:22:23,943 just as a worker in a restaurant. 482 00:22:23,976 --> 00:22:25,412 It used to be famous 483 00:22:25,412 --> 00:22:27,780 with the spaghetti and meatballs. 484 00:22:27,814 --> 00:22:29,048 Two Greek brothers. 485 00:22:29,081 --> 00:22:30,417 That was in Calgary. 486 00:22:30,450 --> 00:22:33,453 I had two partners, and I was a third partner. 487 00:22:33,486 --> 00:22:35,588 And when I was in Calgary, 488 00:22:35,622 --> 00:22:37,724 there was a manager of Safeway, 489 00:22:37,757 --> 00:22:39,526 and he told me there was a Burger Baron for sale 490 00:22:39,559 --> 00:22:41,227 in Edmonton. 491 00:22:41,260 --> 00:22:44,296 -So I came right away... -(OMAR LAUGHS) 492 00:22:44,330 --> 00:22:45,765 OMAR: Really? RUDY: I didn't hesitate, yeah. 493 00:22:45,798 --> 00:22:46,933 When you were in Calgary, 494 00:22:46,966 --> 00:22:48,267 you must have loved Burger Baron. 495 00:22:48,300 --> 00:22:49,869 I'd never tried it before. 496 00:22:49,902 --> 00:22:51,804 OMAR: You never tried it before you bought it? 497 00:22:51,838 --> 00:22:53,072 I heard about it. 498 00:22:53,105 --> 00:22:54,474 -It's a busy place. -(OMAR LAUGHS) 499 00:22:54,507 --> 00:22:56,008 All I cared about... 500 00:22:57,444 --> 00:23:00,613 He says he was taking about $100,000 a year. 501 00:23:00,647 --> 00:23:02,549 You didn't need to taste the product 502 00:23:02,582 --> 00:23:03,983 because the product was obviously... 503 00:23:04,016 --> 00:23:05,952 No, the business was good, that's... 504 00:23:05,985 --> 00:23:07,887 OMAR: The money was the product. 505 00:23:07,920 --> 00:23:12,725 This is the first Burger Baron I bought in 1964. 506 00:23:12,759 --> 00:23:16,195 In these days, I was making $1,000 a day. 507 00:23:16,228 --> 00:23:19,899 When I would put the Mushroom Burger for sale, 508 00:23:19,932 --> 00:23:23,803 (STAMMERS) it's a line-up to 75th Street, 509 00:23:23,836 --> 00:23:26,038 from 60th to 75th. 510 00:23:26,072 --> 00:23:28,007 And they got the police directing traffic. 511 00:23:28,040 --> 00:23:29,476 -You know? -(OMAR LAUGHS) 512 00:23:29,476 --> 00:23:31,644 Did you have to pay the police for that? 513 00:23:31,678 --> 00:23:33,079 You just paid them with burgers. 514 00:23:33,112 --> 00:23:35,347 -Just free hamburgers. -Yeah. Free hamburgers. 515 00:23:35,381 --> 00:23:37,016 OMAR: Rudy initially didn't know 516 00:23:37,049 --> 00:23:38,818 he'd bought into an orphan franchise 517 00:23:38,851 --> 00:23:40,152 of a company in collapse, 518 00:23:40,186 --> 00:23:41,521 but he couldn't have been happier 519 00:23:41,554 --> 00:23:43,255 with the realization. 520 00:23:43,289 --> 00:23:46,559 It meant he was free to expand and do as he wished. 521 00:23:46,593 --> 00:23:47,927 Change the logo, 522 00:23:47,960 --> 00:23:50,497 make up new burgers pandering to local pride, 523 00:23:50,530 --> 00:23:52,231 or possibly concoct a story 524 00:23:52,264 --> 00:23:55,267 about inventing the chain two years before Jack McDonnell. 525 00:23:55,301 --> 00:23:57,737 This is... Is not a Burger Baron. 526 00:23:57,770 --> 00:23:59,105 OMAR: This shouldn't say Burger Baron? 527 00:23:59,138 --> 00:24:00,406 RUDY: No. 528 00:24:00,507 --> 00:24:01,608 MAN 2: I thought my father was the inventor 529 00:24:01,641 --> 00:24:04,176 of Burger Baron until I was 15 or 16. 530 00:24:04,210 --> 00:24:05,812 I realized, well, maybe 531 00:24:05,845 --> 00:24:07,714 there's another side of the story. 532 00:24:09,015 --> 00:24:10,950 My name is Jamal Kemaldean. 533 00:24:10,983 --> 00:24:14,420 I am the son of Rudy Kemaldean, 534 00:24:14,521 --> 00:24:16,355 AKA The Godfather. 535 00:24:16,388 --> 00:24:18,591 He always wore a three-piece suit to the restaurant. 536 00:24:18,625 --> 00:24:20,927 And that had a lot to do 537 00:24:20,960 --> 00:24:22,862 with him growing up from humble beginnings. 538 00:24:22,895 --> 00:24:25,364 He grew up watching the big movie stars. 539 00:24:25,397 --> 00:24:28,334 Cary Grant and Dean Martin, the singer. 540 00:24:28,367 --> 00:24:31,203 They always had nice suits, cigar, wine. 541 00:24:31,237 --> 00:24:32,805 And that explains why he likes suits, 542 00:24:32,839 --> 00:24:34,974 cigars and wine so much these days. 543 00:24:36,876 --> 00:24:38,044 And then he always had the big cars, 544 00:24:38,077 --> 00:24:39,445 the big Cadillacs 545 00:24:39,546 --> 00:24:41,313 with the Continental Kits, gold-plated trimming 546 00:24:41,347 --> 00:24:42,815 all over the place, 547 00:24:42,849 --> 00:24:45,351 and they called my father The Godfather growing up. 548 00:24:45,384 --> 00:24:47,119 OMAR: And like a true Godfather, 549 00:24:47,153 --> 00:24:49,221 Rudy worked hard to recruit the right people 550 00:24:49,255 --> 00:24:50,857 to help run his empire. 551 00:24:50,890 --> 00:24:54,226 RUDY: That's Fauzi. The tall, skinny one. 552 00:24:54,260 --> 00:24:56,963 FAUZI: I came here in '69 to go to university. 553 00:24:56,996 --> 00:25:00,700 He had to go to Lebanon for a few months. 554 00:25:00,733 --> 00:25:03,069 He asked me just to do very little things 555 00:25:03,102 --> 00:25:05,237 like deposit the money, 556 00:25:05,271 --> 00:25:07,940 pay the suppliers and the girls. 557 00:25:07,974 --> 00:25:09,375 So I thought to myself, 558 00:25:09,408 --> 00:25:11,477 "I'll work and save some money 559 00:25:11,578 --> 00:25:14,814 "and get back in university." 560 00:25:14,847 --> 00:25:17,817 That didn't happen because you get a bug 561 00:25:17,850 --> 00:25:19,919 with this kind of business, you know. You love it. 562 00:25:23,322 --> 00:25:24,724 OMAR: The Kemaldean empire 563 00:25:24,757 --> 00:25:27,727 got help from Alberta's newly discovered oil reserves, 564 00:25:27,760 --> 00:25:29,762 and a wave of Canadians racing west 565 00:25:29,796 --> 00:25:31,998 to cash in on a middle-class dream. 566 00:25:32,031 --> 00:25:34,500 But another global event would soon spread that empire 567 00:25:34,601 --> 00:25:36,435 beyond anyone's imagination. 568 00:25:45,778 --> 00:25:47,980 My name's Nazem Kamaleddine. 569 00:25:48,014 --> 00:25:51,350 I came from Lebanon back in 1976. 570 00:25:51,383 --> 00:25:53,319 It was a civil war. We had applied 571 00:25:53,352 --> 00:25:56,022 to come to Canada just before that broke out, 572 00:25:56,055 --> 00:25:59,792 and then it didn't get approved until after the war started. 573 00:25:59,826 --> 00:26:02,729 It was my family and my cousin 574 00:26:02,762 --> 00:26:06,332 Khaled Kamaleddine's family. 575 00:26:06,365 --> 00:26:08,668 OMAR: Their uncles, Rudy and Sal had pitched in 576 00:26:08,701 --> 00:26:10,502 to get all their immediate relatives 577 00:26:10,536 --> 00:26:12,238 to safety in Canada, 578 00:26:12,271 --> 00:26:13,673 six families in all. 579 00:26:13,706 --> 00:26:15,041 But the danger was highest 580 00:26:15,074 --> 00:26:17,443 for young males like Nazem and Khaled. 581 00:26:17,476 --> 00:26:20,346 Militants representing the minority Druze faith 582 00:26:20,379 --> 00:26:23,449 were recruiting teenagers to help fortify Mount Lebanon 583 00:26:23,482 --> 00:26:25,517 against other religious factions, 584 00:26:25,551 --> 00:26:28,120 turning them against friends and neighbors. 585 00:26:28,154 --> 00:26:32,291 Lebanon is divided by religious groups. 586 00:26:32,324 --> 00:26:35,762 The Maronites, the Sunni Muslims 587 00:26:35,795 --> 00:26:38,898 the Shia Muslims, the Druze. 588 00:26:38,931 --> 00:26:45,071 And the political system tries to appeal to different groups. 589 00:26:45,104 --> 00:26:48,107 They established an unwritten constitution, 590 00:26:48,140 --> 00:26:50,076 that the President of the country 591 00:26:50,109 --> 00:26:51,678 will always be a Maronite, 592 00:26:51,678 --> 00:26:54,080 that the Prime Minister of the country 593 00:26:54,113 --> 00:26:57,216 will always be a Sunni Muslim, and so on. 594 00:26:57,249 --> 00:27:00,519 So, whenever you have a system 595 00:27:01,721 --> 00:27:04,156 that is based on religion, 596 00:27:04,190 --> 00:27:06,225 some groups may feel aggrieved. 597 00:27:07,727 --> 00:27:09,128 My best of friends, they were Christian. 598 00:27:09,161 --> 00:27:10,697 My best friends, they were Muslim. 599 00:27:10,697 --> 00:27:12,832 We lived together in that area, you know. 600 00:27:12,865 --> 00:27:15,234 And suddenly, each one had to disappear. 601 00:27:15,267 --> 00:27:18,470 We lose friends from school, maybe three or four of them. 602 00:27:18,504 --> 00:27:20,339 I was close friends with you in school. 603 00:27:20,372 --> 00:27:22,842 They just died in the war, you know. 604 00:27:22,875 --> 00:27:25,878 Your only way out is the water. 605 00:27:25,912 --> 00:27:28,715 So we had to leave on a boat to Cyprus. 606 00:27:28,715 --> 00:27:31,884 (WAVES SPLASHING) 607 00:27:31,918 --> 00:27:34,153 It was in the evening, sometimes, 608 00:27:34,186 --> 00:27:37,757 and the boat was supposed to be 100 people, max. 609 00:27:37,790 --> 00:27:40,893 But there was over 250 on that boat. 610 00:27:42,028 --> 00:27:45,164 I remember sitting on the deck 611 00:27:45,197 --> 00:27:46,598 outside, 612 00:27:46,632 --> 00:27:49,268 and water was coming in from the sea. 613 00:27:51,037 --> 00:27:53,072 -(COAST GUARD SIREN BUZZING) -We got stopped 614 00:27:53,105 --> 00:27:54,841 by the Israeli boats. 615 00:27:54,874 --> 00:27:56,542 (COAST GUARD SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY) 616 00:27:57,777 --> 00:27:59,345 Palestinians were in there, 617 00:27:59,378 --> 00:28:01,948 and they were just ripping up papers 618 00:28:01,981 --> 00:28:04,416 and throwing them in the sea. 619 00:28:04,450 --> 00:28:06,652 KHALED: After we got to Cyprus, I said, 620 00:28:06,753 --> 00:28:08,420 "Why are there no bombs here?" I was young. 621 00:28:08,454 --> 00:28:10,990 I thought to myself the war was all over the world. 622 00:28:11,023 --> 00:28:12,759 I missed my friends, I missed my family. 623 00:28:12,759 --> 00:28:15,361 I tried to leave, to go back to my friends and that, 624 00:28:15,394 --> 00:28:17,163 but somebody, they catch me and my family 625 00:28:17,196 --> 00:28:18,597 and they got me back. 626 00:28:18,630 --> 00:28:20,032 So they took my passport, everybody's passport, 627 00:28:20,066 --> 00:28:22,869 and they kept it with them so you can't go nowhere. 628 00:28:22,902 --> 00:28:24,804 OMAR: More than a dozen close relatives 629 00:28:24,837 --> 00:28:26,338 awaited them in Cyprus, 630 00:28:26,372 --> 00:28:27,774 along with their uncle Sal, 631 00:28:27,807 --> 00:28:30,042 who was helping prepare the family's exodus. 632 00:28:30,910 --> 00:28:32,044 But they quickly learned 633 00:28:32,078 --> 00:28:33,312 the sectarian conflict 634 00:28:33,345 --> 00:28:35,314 had followed them across the sea. 635 00:28:35,347 --> 00:28:37,683 Our visa was in a Canadian embassy, 636 00:28:37,784 --> 00:28:39,485 and the lady was Lebanese, 637 00:28:39,518 --> 00:28:41,854 the one who takes people in and out. 638 00:28:41,888 --> 00:28:43,089 Christians? Right away, go. 639 00:28:44,156 --> 00:28:45,457 Druze, Muslims? 640 00:28:45,491 --> 00:28:47,794 You're not refugee, you have to bribe. 641 00:28:47,827 --> 00:28:50,496 And we said, "We have no money, how we can go?" 642 00:28:50,529 --> 00:28:54,500 My uncle went to the embassy and talked to the council. 643 00:28:54,533 --> 00:28:57,569 If it wasn't for him, we wouldn't be here. 644 00:28:57,603 --> 00:28:59,705 My father and uncle 645 00:28:59,806 --> 00:29:02,274 brought a lot of people from overseas, 646 00:29:02,308 --> 00:29:04,811 mostly family, maybe 25 people. 647 00:29:04,811 --> 00:29:07,814 They all stayed at our house 648 00:29:07,814 --> 00:29:10,382 and I really remember enjoying all the action 649 00:29:10,416 --> 00:29:12,618 and all the parties he'd have there, 650 00:29:12,651 --> 00:29:14,420 sometimes over 100 people. 651 00:29:14,453 --> 00:29:16,488 With every drink of water, 652 00:29:16,522 --> 00:29:19,558 with every bite of food you'd eat, 653 00:29:19,591 --> 00:29:23,295 it was always on my mind how to get back. 654 00:29:23,329 --> 00:29:25,664 My heart was there, 655 00:29:25,697 --> 00:29:27,566 and my mind was there, 656 00:29:27,599 --> 00:29:28,901 but my body wasn't. 657 00:29:28,935 --> 00:29:30,602 I didn't go to school here. 658 00:29:30,636 --> 00:29:31,904 We had to work 659 00:29:31,938 --> 00:29:34,941 and support the family, support the house. 660 00:29:34,974 --> 00:29:37,844 And, of course, Mom and Dad couldn't speak the language, 661 00:29:37,844 --> 00:29:40,847 so we are the main supporters, me and my brothers. 662 00:29:40,847 --> 00:29:43,983 I've been with Burger Baron since I was 13 years old. 663 00:29:44,016 --> 00:29:45,985 And I worked with Uncle Sam, 664 00:29:46,018 --> 00:29:49,956 and my brother used to work with Uncle Rudy. 665 00:29:49,989 --> 00:29:52,591 And then we finished from one place, 666 00:29:52,624 --> 00:29:54,426 we'd go to close another place. 667 00:29:54,460 --> 00:29:56,162 Everybody was helping everybody. 668 00:29:56,195 --> 00:29:59,631 Every one of them have a Burger Baron, you know? 669 00:29:59,665 --> 00:30:00,867 If not him, it will be his son. 670 00:30:00,900 --> 00:30:02,468 Or not his son, his daughter. 671 00:30:02,501 --> 00:30:05,337 The Burger Baron gave lots of opportunities for us. 672 00:30:05,371 --> 00:30:08,307 OMAR: Rudy's apprenticeship wasn't just for close relatives. 673 00:30:08,340 --> 00:30:10,276 He gave away the company's trade secrets 674 00:30:10,309 --> 00:30:11,978 to anyone who asked, 675 00:30:12,011 --> 00:30:14,180 and encouraged them to do for their families 676 00:30:14,213 --> 00:30:16,448 what the Burger Baron did for his own. 677 00:30:16,482 --> 00:30:17,549 (JAMIL SPEAKING) 678 00:31:28,120 --> 00:31:29,855 OMAR: It wasn't just the Burger Baron 679 00:31:29,956 --> 00:31:31,757 that immigrants co-opted. 680 00:31:31,790 --> 00:31:33,692 Based on the Kemaldean success, 681 00:31:33,725 --> 00:31:36,128 a suite of Arab-owned diners had cropped up 682 00:31:36,162 --> 00:31:38,464 under some crafty names 683 00:31:38,497 --> 00:31:40,832 like Wemby's, Dairy King, 684 00:31:40,866 --> 00:31:44,470 B&W Dairy King, and the Big M. 685 00:31:44,503 --> 00:31:46,372 Though, that one didn't last long 686 00:31:46,405 --> 00:31:47,974 after the bigger M sued. 687 00:31:47,974 --> 00:31:49,976 All, of course, had their way 688 00:31:50,009 --> 00:31:52,344 with the Mushroom and Baron Burger recipes. 689 00:32:15,401 --> 00:32:17,269 BAHA: With Burger Baron, 690 00:32:17,303 --> 00:32:20,739 there was a great deal of prosperity 691 00:32:20,772 --> 00:32:23,075 that occurred in the community 692 00:32:23,109 --> 00:32:27,246 as a result of selling fast food 693 00:32:27,279 --> 00:32:28,814 for people who need it, 694 00:32:28,847 --> 00:32:31,517 and people were needing it at that time. 695 00:32:33,319 --> 00:32:37,489 My first restaurant, I opened in Lebanon, 696 00:32:37,523 --> 00:32:39,058 before I came to Canada. 697 00:32:39,091 --> 00:32:42,028 It was in 1981. 698 00:32:42,028 --> 00:32:43,162 It was Lebanese food. 699 00:32:43,195 --> 00:32:46,032 I ran that place for only one year 700 00:32:46,032 --> 00:32:51,103 because Israel came to Lebanon in 1982. 701 00:32:51,137 --> 00:32:54,473 There was a war where my restaurant is, 702 00:32:54,506 --> 00:32:56,042 and lots of damage. 703 00:32:56,042 --> 00:32:58,410 All the bullets and the bombs. 704 00:32:58,444 --> 00:32:59,445 Everything gone. 705 00:33:15,594 --> 00:33:19,831 There was a bomb in our building, 706 00:33:19,865 --> 00:33:22,234 and we were down in the basement, 707 00:33:22,268 --> 00:33:24,370 and the bomb comes in the building and collapsed 708 00:33:24,403 --> 00:33:26,705 on us with our kids. 709 00:33:28,074 --> 00:33:30,209 They were four years and seven years. 710 00:33:30,242 --> 00:33:31,410 (JIM SPEAKING) 711 00:33:38,117 --> 00:33:39,918 Indirectly, you are in the fight. 712 00:33:39,951 --> 00:33:42,254 The situation puts you in a spot 713 00:33:42,288 --> 00:33:44,223 that you have no choice. 714 00:33:44,256 --> 00:33:46,925 You play the survivor game. 715 00:33:46,958 --> 00:33:49,395 And that survivor game, sadly, 716 00:33:49,428 --> 00:33:51,297 it's religious in the country. 717 00:33:51,330 --> 00:33:54,766 And the political point of view, 718 00:33:54,800 --> 00:33:56,302 they manipulate it that way, 719 00:33:56,335 --> 00:33:59,305 and they made us as an enemy against each other. 720 00:33:59,338 --> 00:34:01,107 Against the people I grew up with. 721 00:34:01,107 --> 00:34:02,608 When you leave the house, 722 00:34:02,641 --> 00:34:04,410 when you say bye to your mom and dad, 723 00:34:06,011 --> 00:34:07,879 (CLEARS THROAT) 724 00:34:07,913 --> 00:34:09,681 it almost feels this is the last time 725 00:34:09,715 --> 00:34:10,816 you are saying bye to them. 726 00:34:13,319 --> 00:34:15,221 It is tough. I cannot. 727 00:34:16,822 --> 00:34:18,657 Fuck, you brought me back a long time. 728 00:34:21,127 --> 00:34:22,828 We were hanging out, playing cards. 729 00:34:22,861 --> 00:34:24,463 All of a sudden, 730 00:34:24,496 --> 00:34:26,865 one big bomb came into the window. 731 00:34:26,898 --> 00:34:30,169 Killed two or three people in the same basement. 732 00:34:30,202 --> 00:34:31,803 (SIRENS WAILING) 733 00:34:31,837 --> 00:34:33,172 When it hit the wall, 734 00:34:33,205 --> 00:34:36,742 the wall, it crashes and threw out some stones. 735 00:34:36,775 --> 00:34:37,976 It came to my side. 736 00:34:38,009 --> 00:34:39,478 It went underneath my skin. 737 00:34:39,511 --> 00:34:41,012 If it was only two feet this way, 738 00:34:41,046 --> 00:34:42,848 it could have gone through me. 739 00:34:42,881 --> 00:34:45,884 When we came here, our target was to go to school. 740 00:34:45,917 --> 00:34:47,653 I was gonna go for dentistry. 741 00:34:47,686 --> 00:34:50,356 I had in mind to become an engineer. 742 00:34:50,389 --> 00:34:53,024 I couldn't get the marks to go to university. 743 00:35:01,167 --> 00:35:03,835 Every Lebanese guy we knew was in the restaurant business, 744 00:35:03,869 --> 00:35:05,571 or we'd go visit them in their house, 745 00:35:05,604 --> 00:35:06,772 and they'd go to the business, 746 00:35:06,805 --> 00:35:09,308 and then everybody has a Burger Baron. 747 00:35:09,341 --> 00:35:10,776 And we thought, "Okay." 748 00:35:14,180 --> 00:35:15,647 OMAR: Twenty years after the company 749 00:35:15,681 --> 00:35:17,649 was bankrupted and orphaned, 750 00:35:17,683 --> 00:35:19,518 the Burger Baron had made a comeback. 751 00:35:19,551 --> 00:35:21,787 All thanks to this one man. 752 00:35:21,820 --> 00:35:24,790 Rudy never demanded royalties or kickbacks. 753 00:35:24,823 --> 00:35:28,360 All he asked for in return was quality control. 754 00:35:28,394 --> 00:35:30,196 That might have been too much to ask. 755 00:35:31,463 --> 00:35:34,300 I got a uniform to my staff, 756 00:35:34,333 --> 00:35:37,836 a very nice uniform, complete outfit 757 00:35:37,869 --> 00:35:39,871 and cost me, at that time, 758 00:35:39,905 --> 00:35:42,708 almost $3,000 just for the uniforms. 759 00:35:42,741 --> 00:35:44,710 They put it on as long as I'm around. 760 00:35:44,743 --> 00:35:47,846 If I leave the place, they take the uniform off. 761 00:35:49,014 --> 00:35:52,218 Once they see me driving in the entrance, 762 00:35:52,251 --> 00:35:54,453 they run and put their uniform on. 763 00:35:54,486 --> 00:35:57,656 The Canadians, they kept it on, always. 764 00:35:59,325 --> 00:36:00,659 If I'm in there, or not. 765 00:36:00,692 --> 00:36:02,228 So, that's the difference. 766 00:36:02,228 --> 00:36:04,095 OMAR: Do you think it would have been easier 767 00:36:04,129 --> 00:36:06,097 for you to get them to follow the rules 768 00:36:06,131 --> 00:36:07,299 if they weren't Lebanese? 769 00:36:07,333 --> 00:36:08,634 Of course. 770 00:36:08,667 --> 00:36:13,104 Canadians or anybody, strangers, they do better. 771 00:36:13,138 --> 00:36:16,041 Rudy was generous in his approach 772 00:36:16,074 --> 00:36:19,778 to any relative, any friend, 773 00:36:19,811 --> 00:36:22,248 any person that he liked. 774 00:36:22,281 --> 00:36:24,250 And they came and asked for the name. 775 00:36:24,250 --> 00:36:25,484 He said, "Go ahead." 776 00:36:25,517 --> 00:36:28,254 He has a big heart, and I envy him 777 00:36:28,254 --> 00:36:32,658 how he can put up with all that, you know, with a smile, 778 00:36:32,691 --> 00:36:37,296 with a helping hand, always. 779 00:36:37,329 --> 00:36:39,064 You know, when he gave everything 780 00:36:39,097 --> 00:36:40,966 to all those guys, 781 00:36:40,999 --> 00:36:44,069 he was happy to see them doing very well. 782 00:36:44,102 --> 00:36:47,506 OMAR: As the carnage in Lebanon raged on and on, 783 00:36:47,539 --> 00:36:49,275 Burger Barons became a terminal 784 00:36:49,275 --> 00:36:51,410 for other Lebanese people displaced by war. 785 00:36:51,443 --> 00:36:53,979 The owners taught them the recipes they got from Rudy, 786 00:36:54,012 --> 00:36:55,581 and showed them first-hand 787 00:36:55,614 --> 00:36:57,816 what it takes to run a successful family restaurant. 788 00:37:00,386 --> 00:37:01,953 That's the secret recipe 789 00:37:01,987 --> 00:37:05,056 that was eventually passed down to my family decades later. 790 00:37:06,525 --> 00:37:07,893 You know, I talked to your dad 791 00:37:07,926 --> 00:37:10,829 about, um, you know, 792 00:37:10,862 --> 00:37:12,764 about him finding out 793 00:37:12,798 --> 00:37:14,500 that we were a Burger Baron family. 794 00:37:14,533 --> 00:37:15,734 WOMAN 1: Mmm-hmm. 795 00:37:15,767 --> 00:37:19,571 And whether that changed his perception of me. 796 00:37:19,605 --> 00:37:22,508 Yeah, I guess, to be honest, it did. 797 00:37:22,541 --> 00:37:24,343 Like I said, I've always felt favorable 798 00:37:24,376 --> 00:37:25,544 towards Burger Baron. 799 00:37:25,577 --> 00:37:27,178 And when I found out that you and your family 800 00:37:27,212 --> 00:37:28,614 had been involved with that, 801 00:37:28,647 --> 00:37:30,048 certainly I felt that, "Hey, 802 00:37:30,081 --> 00:37:32,551 "we have a bit of a kinship and something in common." 803 00:37:32,584 --> 00:37:36,688 It definitely dispelled and allayed 804 00:37:36,722 --> 00:37:40,592 a lot of the trepidation I would have. 805 00:37:40,626 --> 00:37:42,227 -And it did. -WOMAN 1: Yeah. 806 00:37:42,328 --> 00:37:44,796 For sure. Because that's Albertan. 807 00:37:44,830 --> 00:37:47,098 -(OMAR LAUGHS) -It makes you Canadian. 808 00:37:47,132 --> 00:37:48,900 -No longer a foreigner. -No. 809 00:37:48,934 --> 00:37:50,101 A part of the fabric, 810 00:37:50,135 --> 00:37:52,604 the DNA of this great province of Alberta. 811 00:37:52,638 --> 00:37:53,672 Absolutely. 812 00:37:56,908 --> 00:37:59,044 Hi, Baba. Did you get your vaccine yesterday? 813 00:37:59,077 --> 00:38:00,446 -Oh, yeah. -Oh! 814 00:38:01,413 --> 00:38:04,015 -(ULULATING) -OMAR: Excellent. 815 00:38:04,049 --> 00:38:05,183 (ALL LAUGHING) 816 00:38:07,152 --> 00:38:08,720 Did you ever sell Lebanese food in the restaurant? 817 00:38:08,754 --> 00:38:11,790 WOMAN 2: We tried one time to make falafel. 818 00:38:11,823 --> 00:38:13,224 And it didn't really sell. 819 00:38:13,258 --> 00:38:15,694 Did you actually like the food? At Burger Baron? 820 00:38:16,695 --> 00:38:19,631 Uh, I think so. Yeah. Yeah. 821 00:38:19,665 --> 00:38:21,733 (LAUGHING) You don't sound very convincing. 822 00:38:21,767 --> 00:38:24,803 No, I do. I did like it. 823 00:38:24,836 --> 00:38:25,904 (SPEAKING ARABIC) 824 00:38:25,937 --> 00:38:27,806 OMAR: Do you remember 825 00:38:27,839 --> 00:38:31,577 when I went to the restaurant on my own as a little kid? 826 00:38:31,610 --> 00:38:33,512 WOMAN 2: You were about three-and-a-half. 827 00:38:34,680 --> 00:38:36,882 And I didn't even know you were gone 828 00:38:36,915 --> 00:38:38,750 because you were supposed to be playing 829 00:38:38,784 --> 00:38:39,918 with your siblings. 830 00:38:39,951 --> 00:38:42,020 And you just walked out of the house 831 00:38:42,053 --> 00:38:45,524 when I was cleaning or cooking or something. 832 00:38:45,557 --> 00:38:48,860 And then I get a phone call, 833 00:38:48,894 --> 00:38:50,261 "Omar's here." 834 00:38:50,295 --> 00:38:52,698 I just freaked out. 835 00:38:52,731 --> 00:38:54,766 -Why did I go there? -To get ice cream. 836 00:38:58,537 --> 00:38:59,605 Beautifully done. 837 00:39:00,406 --> 00:39:01,407 OMAR: I have a question. 838 00:39:01,440 --> 00:39:03,074 I worked in the restaurant. 839 00:39:03,108 --> 00:39:04,443 I think when I was 10, 840 00:39:04,476 --> 00:39:06,512 I was probably maybe taking some drive-in orders. 841 00:39:06,545 --> 00:39:08,814 And you put me in the dish pit. 842 00:39:08,847 --> 00:39:09,981 You never let me cook. 843 00:39:10,015 --> 00:39:12,484 How come? How come my brother, 844 00:39:12,518 --> 00:39:14,152 my older brother, got to be a cook? 845 00:39:43,982 --> 00:39:45,451 OMAR: I hated the dishes. 846 00:39:45,451 --> 00:39:47,252 You were never meant to be a Burger Baron. 847 00:39:53,459 --> 00:39:55,193 OMAR: Did you originally want him 848 00:39:55,226 --> 00:39:57,162 to take over the restaurant? Was that your big plan? 849 00:39:57,195 --> 00:39:58,329 (FATHER SPEAKING) 850 00:40:03,835 --> 00:40:05,771 MOTHER: To go through what we went through. 851 00:40:18,183 --> 00:40:19,551 OMAR: So when you think about that, 852 00:40:19,585 --> 00:40:21,653 what do you think the Burger Baron 853 00:40:21,687 --> 00:40:25,123 has meant to our community? 854 00:40:26,224 --> 00:40:27,726 OMAR: It's free. It's free knowledge. 855 00:40:27,759 --> 00:40:29,861 Someone taught it to me. I taught it to you. 856 00:40:29,895 --> 00:40:32,263 The Lebanese generosity. 857 00:40:32,297 --> 00:40:34,700 -Yeah. -(CHUCKLES) To share. 858 00:40:34,733 --> 00:40:35,834 -You're right. -To share. 859 00:40:35,867 --> 00:40:36,902 That's how it is. 860 00:40:36,935 --> 00:40:38,369 They don't cooperate very well... 861 00:40:38,403 --> 00:40:40,038 FATHER: No. (LAUGHS) 862 00:40:40,071 --> 00:40:41,573 ...but they are generous. 863 00:40:41,607 --> 00:40:42,908 -(BABY GRUMBLING) -You all right? 864 00:40:42,941 --> 00:40:44,543 (MOTHER LAUGHS) 865 00:40:44,576 --> 00:40:46,845 -Are you pooping? -FATHER: No. 866 00:40:46,878 --> 00:40:48,747 OMAR: At the dinner table? FATHER: No way. 867 00:40:48,780 --> 00:40:50,716 -No way. No way. -(BABY EXCLAIMS) 868 00:40:50,749 --> 00:40:52,918 There's no pooping at the dinner table. 869 00:40:52,951 --> 00:40:54,452 (RAP MUSIC PLAYING) 870 00:40:55,821 --> 00:40:58,056 OMAR: Burger Baron is the perfect business model 871 00:40:58,089 --> 00:40:59,457 for Lebanese who, 872 00:40:59,491 --> 00:41:02,127 let's just say are famous for their independence. 873 00:41:03,194 --> 00:41:04,262 You can notice something, 874 00:41:04,295 --> 00:41:05,664 if you go to other Burger Barons, 875 00:41:05,697 --> 00:41:07,265 each one is different. 876 00:41:07,298 --> 00:41:10,201 Some of them... It's different. They don't follow the rules. 877 00:41:10,235 --> 00:41:11,537 (RAP MUSIC CONTINUES) 878 00:41:26,017 --> 00:41:27,018 (LAUGHS) 879 00:41:33,992 --> 00:41:37,395 Everybody wants to be the CEO of the company. 880 00:41:43,268 --> 00:41:44,670 (SAM SPEAKING) 881 00:41:53,211 --> 00:41:55,146 I love this job. 882 00:41:55,180 --> 00:41:56,314 -You do? -Yes. 883 00:41:56,347 --> 00:41:57,683 What's your favorite part of it? 884 00:41:58,383 --> 00:41:59,651 Independence. 885 00:41:59,685 --> 00:42:01,987 MAN 3: I've been to Burger Barons 886 00:42:02,020 --> 00:42:03,722 where they weren't good. 887 00:42:03,755 --> 00:42:06,157 I've been to Burger Barons that were fantastic. 888 00:42:06,191 --> 00:42:08,493 It almost piques their curiosity 889 00:42:08,594 --> 00:42:10,428 "Let's go try Burger Baron, see what it's like." 890 00:42:10,461 --> 00:42:12,330 There is no actual system. 891 00:42:12,363 --> 00:42:13,965 Let's say I wanted to add something 892 00:42:13,999 --> 00:42:15,433 to the menu or take something off, 893 00:42:15,466 --> 00:42:17,068 there's no head office 894 00:42:17,102 --> 00:42:18,503 to say anything. 895 00:42:19,771 --> 00:42:22,741 MAN 4: Maskwacis is a native reserve. 896 00:42:22,774 --> 00:42:24,743 I support them so they will feel at home 897 00:42:24,776 --> 00:42:26,311 when they walk in. 898 00:42:26,344 --> 00:42:29,615 We serve a bannock burger and we sell bannock taco, too. 899 00:42:31,983 --> 00:42:34,786 Oh, my God, why aren't all burgers bannock burgers? 900 00:42:36,822 --> 00:42:39,157 WOMAN 3: I've introduced a lot of vegan options in this place. 901 00:42:39,190 --> 00:42:43,128 Dairy-free cheese, vegan pepperoni, vegan sausage. 902 00:42:43,161 --> 00:42:46,765 I just haven't had the chance to fully take on the reins. 903 00:42:46,798 --> 00:42:48,800 -She's the boss. -(CHUCKLES) 904 00:42:48,834 --> 00:42:50,401 (RAP MUSIC CONTINUES) 905 00:43:00,211 --> 00:43:01,512 MAN 5: I like my freedom. 906 00:43:01,546 --> 00:43:04,182 And I know, with my mentality, 907 00:43:04,215 --> 00:43:07,653 I can't take orders from somebody else. 908 00:43:07,653 --> 00:43:09,454 OMAR: McDonald's is not gonna let you 909 00:43:09,487 --> 00:43:12,323 -open up a laundromat inside. -No. 910 00:43:15,126 --> 00:43:16,928 The root is Canadian, 911 00:43:16,962 --> 00:43:20,231 but the trees and the fruit are Lebanese. 912 00:43:20,265 --> 00:43:22,400 OMAR: Of course, it would be a stereotype 913 00:43:22,433 --> 00:43:24,302 to say all Burger Barons are Lebanese. 914 00:43:25,070 --> 00:43:26,137 Some are Palestinian. 915 00:43:32,143 --> 00:43:34,379 OMAR: Whether Christian, Muslim or Druze, 916 00:43:34,412 --> 00:43:36,547 the syndicate is open to everyone. 917 00:43:36,581 --> 00:43:38,316 But there's an unwritten rule: 918 00:43:38,349 --> 00:43:40,318 Never give the mushroom sauce recipe 919 00:43:40,351 --> 00:43:41,419 to an outsider. 920 00:43:43,855 --> 00:43:45,590 Can you tell us what's in the mushroom sauce? 921 00:43:45,691 --> 00:43:47,558 What the ingredients are. 922 00:43:47,592 --> 00:43:51,062 I don't like to talk about that. (LAUGHS) 923 00:43:51,096 --> 00:43:53,064 The base is the Campbell's Cream of Mushroom. 924 00:43:53,098 --> 00:43:54,499 That's right. And then, 925 00:43:54,532 --> 00:43:56,101 you have to add things to it, right? 926 00:43:56,134 --> 00:43:58,003 -What do you add? -You add the... 927 00:43:58,036 --> 00:43:59,404 There's things we add to it. 928 00:43:59,437 --> 00:44:02,340 -You're not gonna tell me. -I can't. Ask your dad. 929 00:44:02,373 --> 00:44:04,309 What's in the Mushroom Burger sauce? 930 00:44:07,245 --> 00:44:09,380 OMAR: But just because they don't share the recipes 931 00:44:09,414 --> 00:44:10,916 with outsiders 932 00:44:10,949 --> 00:44:13,218 doesn't mean there haven't been any information breaches. 933 00:44:13,251 --> 00:44:15,386 MAN 6: Actually most of the burgers 934 00:44:15,420 --> 00:44:17,756 are the Burger Barons burgers. 935 00:44:17,789 --> 00:44:19,190 We get the same sauces 936 00:44:19,224 --> 00:44:21,026 and even the same burgers. 937 00:44:21,059 --> 00:44:23,061 What, the Burger Baron, a long time ago 938 00:44:23,094 --> 00:44:24,595 used to buy from my company. 939 00:44:24,629 --> 00:44:26,832 What's in the mushroom sauce? 940 00:44:26,865 --> 00:44:28,533 SAM: Nothing. See, when you do the mushrooms, 941 00:44:28,566 --> 00:44:30,001 I do it on the grill. 942 00:44:30,035 --> 00:44:31,602 I'll show you how I do the Mushroom Burger. 943 00:44:31,636 --> 00:44:33,071 (SAM SPEAKING) 944 00:44:45,050 --> 00:44:46,752 All right. 945 00:44:46,785 --> 00:44:49,755 So let's see. It looks the same. 946 00:44:51,790 --> 00:44:52,991 Something tastes off. 947 00:44:54,425 --> 00:44:55,460 I think he's punking me. 948 00:44:57,495 --> 00:45:00,031 Thirty-three years old, or 34, I don't know, 949 00:45:00,065 --> 00:45:01,099 when they first opened 950 00:45:01,132 --> 00:45:03,434 the Burger Baron in High Prairie. 951 00:45:03,468 --> 00:45:07,038 OMAR: I never thought I'd see one of these again. 952 00:45:07,072 --> 00:45:08,774 Did my dad know 953 00:45:08,807 --> 00:45:10,675 that you just took our menu? (LAUGHS) 954 00:45:10,776 --> 00:45:12,477 Actually, your mom brought it for us, 955 00:45:12,510 --> 00:45:13,945 and then she was a big helper 956 00:45:13,979 --> 00:45:15,313 -for us, too. -Really? 957 00:45:15,346 --> 00:45:17,883 Oh. You know, my favorite thing to eat 958 00:45:17,916 --> 00:45:19,317 is the Putine. 959 00:45:19,350 --> 00:45:21,987 Best Putine in all of Alberta. 960 00:45:22,553 --> 00:45:23,855 (OMAR LAUGHING) 961 00:45:26,992 --> 00:45:27,993 It's a pretty nice hat. 962 00:45:32,898 --> 00:45:34,532 (LAUGHING) 963 00:45:36,401 --> 00:45:37,502 Now, Ottawa may think 964 00:45:37,535 --> 00:45:39,404 it has cornered the market on shawarma, 965 00:45:39,437 --> 00:45:42,340 and Halifax might think it can claim the donair. 966 00:45:42,373 --> 00:45:44,209 Alberta, though, can certainly claim 967 00:45:44,242 --> 00:45:48,313 the Lebanese-inflected Burger Baron Mushroom Burger. 968 00:45:48,346 --> 00:45:50,548 TERRY: I would hear about the Kemaldeans 969 00:45:50,581 --> 00:45:52,851 and their restaurants 970 00:45:52,884 --> 00:45:56,021 by other people saying, "Oh, I drove through Milk River. 971 00:45:56,054 --> 00:45:58,023 "The Kemaldeans have put another one up," 972 00:45:58,056 --> 00:45:59,257 or something like this. 973 00:45:59,290 --> 00:46:01,059 They had a huge menu. 974 00:46:01,092 --> 00:46:02,928 The sauce wasn't the same. 975 00:46:02,961 --> 00:46:05,330 The Baron, it wasn't the same. 976 00:46:05,363 --> 00:46:07,265 It looked like somebody looked at it 977 00:46:07,298 --> 00:46:08,633 and tried to draw it again, 978 00:46:08,666 --> 00:46:10,601 thinking, well, the name is all they need 979 00:46:10,635 --> 00:46:11,669 to be a success. 980 00:46:11,702 --> 00:46:12,838 They had no... 981 00:46:12,871 --> 00:46:14,305 Well, I guess they had a right to it 982 00:46:14,339 --> 00:46:18,276 because it was, at that time, on the open market. 983 00:46:18,309 --> 00:46:20,711 It was frustrating, I guess, I should say, 984 00:46:21,712 --> 00:46:23,414 that they just... 985 00:46:23,448 --> 00:46:24,515 The way they do business. 986 00:46:24,549 --> 00:46:27,152 I just wasn't impressed with them. 987 00:46:27,185 --> 00:46:29,120 OMAR: Part of Terry's frustration 988 00:46:29,154 --> 00:46:30,488 stemmed from unresolved feelings 989 00:46:30,521 --> 00:46:32,924 about his dad giving up too easily 990 00:46:32,958 --> 00:46:34,759 on the company after things went south. 991 00:46:34,860 --> 00:46:37,863 In fact, Jack McDonnell had continued with the company, 992 00:46:37,863 --> 00:46:39,097 but as an independent. 993 00:46:39,130 --> 00:46:42,433 After dissolving the corporation in 1961, 994 00:46:42,467 --> 00:46:45,303 he moved to Regina to buy one of the original shops 995 00:46:45,336 --> 00:46:46,872 he used to collect royalties from. 996 00:46:46,872 --> 00:46:49,440 He ran it with his second wife as a mom-and-pop, 997 00:46:49,474 --> 00:46:52,577 until retiring to California in 1979. 998 00:46:53,378 --> 00:46:55,013 He died a few years later. 999 00:46:55,046 --> 00:46:57,883 TERRY: I had had a steakhouse 1000 00:46:57,883 --> 00:47:00,886 in Lethbridge in the late '80s. 1001 00:47:00,919 --> 00:47:02,387 After four years, 1002 00:47:02,420 --> 00:47:05,223 I closed the restaurant, stumbled around, 1003 00:47:05,256 --> 00:47:06,524 didn't know what to do, 1004 00:47:06,557 --> 00:47:08,026 and I thought, "Shoot, there's no Burger Baron 1005 00:47:08,059 --> 00:47:09,194 "anymore in Calgary, 1006 00:47:09,227 --> 00:47:11,762 "maybe I'll go out and start one up there." 1007 00:47:11,796 --> 00:47:14,399 I thought it could be lucrative 1008 00:47:14,432 --> 00:47:18,203 because of Calgary's history with the Burger Barons. 1009 00:47:18,236 --> 00:47:21,106 Right off the bat, as soon as I put the sign up, 1010 00:47:21,139 --> 00:47:22,407 it was good. 1011 00:47:22,440 --> 00:47:24,442 I got a lot of people saying, then, 1012 00:47:24,475 --> 00:47:25,776 "Where have you been?" 1013 00:47:25,810 --> 00:47:27,178 A guy came in 1014 00:47:28,980 --> 00:47:30,748 driving a Rolls Royce, 1015 00:47:30,781 --> 00:47:32,984 came in and ordered a hamburger. 1016 00:47:33,018 --> 00:47:36,321 And as I'm writing it down, he said, 1017 00:47:36,354 --> 00:47:37,989 "I invented that." 1018 00:47:38,023 --> 00:47:41,126 And he said, "Also, I started this franchise." 1019 00:47:41,927 --> 00:47:43,661 And then I asked him, 1020 00:47:43,694 --> 00:47:46,097 -"Do you know Jack McDonnell?" -(GASPS) 1021 00:47:46,131 --> 00:47:48,799 And he then was very quiet, got his hamburger, 1022 00:47:49,434 --> 00:47:50,435 and left. 1023 00:47:51,169 --> 00:47:52,603 I didn't know his name. 1024 00:47:55,540 --> 00:47:58,809 OMAR: I know exactly who it was. 1025 00:47:58,843 --> 00:48:01,279 I first investigated the true origins 1026 00:48:01,312 --> 00:48:03,048 of the Burger Baron a decade ago, 1027 00:48:03,081 --> 00:48:04,549 and as luck would have it, 1028 00:48:04,582 --> 00:48:06,952 I found the originator right away. 1029 00:48:06,952 --> 00:48:08,753 Or so I thought. 1030 00:48:08,786 --> 00:48:11,189 Sal had weaved together a loose tale 1031 00:48:11,222 --> 00:48:13,724 about co-founding the company with Jack McDonnell 1032 00:48:13,758 --> 00:48:16,194 and his brother Dick in 1957, 1033 00:48:16,227 --> 00:48:18,496 barely a year after immigrating to Canada 1034 00:48:18,529 --> 00:48:19,697 as a teenager. 1035 00:48:19,730 --> 00:48:21,599 He told me he was a silent partner 1036 00:48:21,632 --> 00:48:23,068 who'd come up with the recipes 1037 00:48:23,101 --> 00:48:25,436 in lieu of any financial investment. 1038 00:48:25,470 --> 00:48:26,771 And his biggest contribution, 1039 00:48:26,804 --> 00:48:28,839 the Mushroom Burger sauce, 1040 00:48:28,873 --> 00:48:32,177 which he claimed was made with secret Lebanese spices, 1041 00:48:32,210 --> 00:48:34,512 claims he now denies ever making 1042 00:48:34,545 --> 00:48:36,447 as well as ever having told Terry 1043 00:48:36,481 --> 00:48:38,783 that he invented the franchise. 1044 00:48:38,816 --> 00:48:40,718 We did not say we invented the Burger Baron 1045 00:48:40,751 --> 00:48:42,020 or we started Burger Baron. 1046 00:48:42,053 --> 00:48:43,288 We said we have Burger Barons. 1047 00:48:43,321 --> 00:48:46,291 OMAR: So you never claimed that you started 1048 00:48:46,324 --> 00:48:47,993 -the Burger Baron. -No. No. 1049 00:48:47,993 --> 00:48:49,160 OMAR: But you had in the past. 1050 00:48:50,295 --> 00:48:52,697 He told me that he was the Burger Baron. 1051 00:48:52,730 --> 00:48:54,765 And I've also heard from someone else 1052 00:48:54,799 --> 00:48:57,235 that he has said the same thing to them. 1053 00:48:57,268 --> 00:49:00,771 Maybe they misunderstood what I said. 1054 00:49:00,805 --> 00:49:02,207 Well, I don't think that I said... 1055 00:49:02,240 --> 00:49:04,309 -I did that. -OMAR: Well... 1056 00:49:04,342 --> 00:49:05,776 -You told me... -Yes. 1057 00:49:05,810 --> 00:49:07,278 ...you had started the Burger Baron. 1058 00:49:07,312 --> 00:49:08,779 I don't know you want me to say. 1059 00:49:08,813 --> 00:49:11,049 So if you want to report that, go ahead, report it. 1060 00:49:11,082 --> 00:49:12,683 You could report anything you like. 1061 00:49:13,518 --> 00:49:15,020 OMAR: In fairness to Sal, 1062 00:49:15,053 --> 00:49:16,854 he probably wasn't the only brother 1063 00:49:16,887 --> 00:49:19,024 pretending to be the inventor. 1064 00:49:19,057 --> 00:49:21,359 There was a photo of you at the Leduc location 1065 00:49:21,392 --> 00:49:24,829 where it was you in your kitchen uniform. 1066 00:49:24,862 --> 00:49:26,031 And it said, you know, 1067 00:49:26,031 --> 00:49:29,134 "Rudy Kemaldean, Burger Baron, 1955," 1068 00:49:29,167 --> 00:49:32,837 which was years before Burger Baron launched. 1069 00:49:34,239 --> 00:49:35,240 Yeah. 1070 00:49:40,711 --> 00:49:42,047 Jamal? Jamal. 1071 00:49:42,047 --> 00:49:45,083 -OMAR: Your son? -My son. Yeah. 1072 00:49:45,116 --> 00:49:47,485 I thought it would look better to the customers, perhaps, 1073 00:49:47,518 --> 00:49:48,753 to be honest. 1074 00:49:48,786 --> 00:49:52,057 And wanted to make the Burger Baron name 1075 00:49:52,057 --> 00:49:55,093 that much more interesting, I guess. 1076 00:49:55,126 --> 00:49:56,761 Did you use to tell people 1077 00:49:56,794 --> 00:49:58,529 that you were the Burger Baron inventor? 1078 00:49:58,563 --> 00:50:01,266 No, no. I never even thought of it. 1079 00:50:01,299 --> 00:50:03,268 He claimed, certainly to my face, 1080 00:50:03,301 --> 00:50:05,736 that he is the originator of the Burger Baron. 1081 00:50:05,770 --> 00:50:06,937 He's the man. 1082 00:50:06,971 --> 00:50:08,439 He's the guy that came up with all the stuff 1083 00:50:08,473 --> 00:50:11,742 like the logo and the food and stuff like that. 1084 00:50:11,776 --> 00:50:13,778 Rudy was a very convincing individual, 1085 00:50:13,811 --> 00:50:15,780 and he was standing in his Burger Baron 1086 00:50:15,813 --> 00:50:17,582 surrounded by his children 1087 00:50:17,615 --> 00:50:19,417 telling me his story. 1088 00:50:19,450 --> 00:50:21,586 So I had no reason to doubt him. 1089 00:50:21,619 --> 00:50:24,455 Yeah, I mean, the story sounds a little better, right? 1090 00:50:24,489 --> 00:50:26,091 The Mushroom Burger tasted a little better 1091 00:50:26,124 --> 00:50:28,693 when you ate it maybe, if you knew that story. 1092 00:50:28,726 --> 00:50:29,760 (CHUCKLES) 1093 00:50:29,794 --> 00:50:31,729 That was where our mafia comes in. 1094 00:50:31,762 --> 00:50:33,231 That's about as criminal as we got. 1095 00:50:34,099 --> 00:50:36,967 So many people came to Rudy 1096 00:50:37,001 --> 00:50:38,269 thinking he was the Burger Baron, 1097 00:50:38,303 --> 00:50:40,138 and they could open a Burger Baron, 1098 00:50:40,171 --> 00:50:41,972 and Rudy said, "Go ahead." Whatever the case. 1099 00:50:42,006 --> 00:50:44,442 I used to drive to various Burger Barons. 1100 00:50:44,475 --> 00:50:47,912 You ask for a Baronet, heaven knows what you'll get. 1101 00:50:47,945 --> 00:50:51,916 We can't even agree on our last name's spelling, 1102 00:50:51,949 --> 00:50:53,984 let alone, you know, 1103 00:50:54,018 --> 00:50:55,553 getting everything consistent like sauces 1104 00:50:55,586 --> 00:50:57,288 and everything else, so... (CHUCKLES) 1105 00:50:57,322 --> 00:50:59,424 You know, of course we had our challenges there. 1106 00:50:59,457 --> 00:51:01,092 OMAR: For Terry and the Kemaldeans, 1107 00:51:01,126 --> 00:51:04,395 the inconsistencies have tainted the brand name. 1108 00:51:04,429 --> 00:51:06,964 But for the Burger Barons' stalwart customers, 1109 00:51:06,997 --> 00:51:09,334 the chaos might be the best part about it. 1110 00:51:12,270 --> 00:51:14,305 MAN 7: The reason it's so special is the lore, 1111 00:51:14,339 --> 00:51:17,308 the urban legend that comes along with it. 1112 00:51:17,342 --> 00:51:21,846 It's a chain restaurant that went wrong, 1113 00:51:21,879 --> 00:51:23,148 and the food is... 1114 00:51:23,148 --> 00:51:25,350 There's no quality control between them. 1115 00:51:25,383 --> 00:51:28,419 The burgers are spongy. But I love them. 1116 00:51:28,453 --> 00:51:30,155 What I love about the Burger Baron 1117 00:51:30,155 --> 00:51:31,889 is it's so mysterious. 1118 00:51:31,922 --> 00:51:34,992 It's funny to imagine all these burger chains, 1119 00:51:35,025 --> 00:51:37,228 sprawling out from one origin 1120 00:51:37,262 --> 00:51:38,763 and then disputing 1121 00:51:38,796 --> 00:51:40,665 -who the original guy was. -(LAUGHS) 1122 00:51:40,698 --> 00:51:42,233 -OMAR: Yeah. -"And the Burger Baron, 1123 00:51:42,267 --> 00:51:43,568 "who is that guy?" 1124 00:51:43,601 --> 00:51:45,936 Any other burger restaurant that you can go to, 1125 00:51:45,970 --> 00:51:47,238 any franchise or something, 1126 00:51:47,272 --> 00:51:50,508 that magic isn't there, that personality. 1127 00:51:50,541 --> 00:51:53,043 When I think of other fast food joints, 1128 00:51:53,077 --> 00:51:54,445 it's all about reproduction, right? 1129 00:51:54,479 --> 00:51:56,080 Everything has to taste the same every single time. 1130 00:51:56,181 --> 00:51:57,582 You have your favorite Burger Baron. 1131 00:51:57,615 --> 00:51:59,184 You don't have your favorite McDonald's. 1132 00:51:59,184 --> 00:52:02,687 You don't have your favorite Taco Bell or something, right? 1133 00:52:02,720 --> 00:52:05,490 The Burger Baron in Redwater makes pizza. 1134 00:52:05,523 --> 00:52:07,091 Do other Burger Barons have pizza? 1135 00:52:07,192 --> 00:52:11,196 OMAR: Yeah, my parents' restaurant was big on pizza. 1136 00:52:11,196 --> 00:52:13,097 Maybe sold as many pizzas as burgers. 1137 00:52:13,198 --> 00:52:15,600 -Wait, your parents had a... -Yes, I'm the son of a Baron. 1138 00:52:15,633 --> 00:52:18,002 -Holy shit. You're royalty. -It's not everyday... 1139 00:52:18,035 --> 00:52:20,705 Sometimes when you walk into a more modern or updated one, 1140 00:52:20,738 --> 00:52:22,640 it's kind of a letdown in a way. 1141 00:52:22,673 --> 00:52:24,975 OMAR: What these superfans don't realize 1142 00:52:25,009 --> 00:52:27,011 is just how hard the Barons tried 1143 00:52:27,044 --> 00:52:29,079 to become the very thing they despise. 1144 00:52:30,981 --> 00:52:32,250 NAZEM: Back in the '80s, 1145 00:52:32,283 --> 00:52:35,653 I invited a whole bunch of Burger Baron owners 1146 00:52:35,686 --> 00:52:36,887 into Edmonton, 1147 00:52:36,921 --> 00:52:38,856 and we will have our own suppliers 1148 00:52:38,889 --> 00:52:40,225 mixing our stuff, 1149 00:52:40,258 --> 00:52:42,227 and then I'll have like a warehouse. 1150 00:52:42,260 --> 00:52:45,396 Everything comes strictly for the Burger Baron. 1151 00:52:45,430 --> 00:52:50,535 We tried to get everybody together to agree 1152 00:52:50,568 --> 00:52:53,471 so everybody will be all the same 1153 00:52:53,504 --> 00:52:55,340 for all of them, wherever you go. 1154 00:52:55,373 --> 00:52:57,708 OMAR: His uncles Rudy and Fauzi had twice attempted 1155 00:52:57,742 --> 00:52:59,143 to unify the chain, 1156 00:52:59,244 --> 00:53:00,578 but it never lasted. 1157 00:53:00,611 --> 00:53:02,580 By 1984, the Burger Baron brand 1158 00:53:02,613 --> 00:53:04,549 had been overtaken and proliferated 1159 00:53:04,582 --> 00:53:06,884 by a handful of Lebanese immigrant families. 1160 00:53:06,917 --> 00:53:07,985 Thanks to them, 1161 00:53:08,018 --> 00:53:10,120 the empire had never been bigger 1162 00:53:10,154 --> 00:53:11,922 and never more disorganized. 1163 00:53:11,956 --> 00:53:13,424 The civil war brought us 1164 00:53:13,458 --> 00:53:16,160 some of "the unwelcome," you might say, 1165 00:53:16,261 --> 00:53:17,328 in the business field. 1166 00:53:17,362 --> 00:53:20,665 They don't have the first clue about PR 1167 00:53:20,698 --> 00:53:22,300 or being nice to people 1168 00:53:22,333 --> 00:53:27,071 or giving them what they pay for. 1169 00:53:27,104 --> 00:53:28,639 OMAR: So Nazem stepped up 1170 00:53:28,673 --> 00:53:30,408 and tried to rein in the Burger Baron 1171 00:53:30,441 --> 00:53:32,142 for the family once again. 1172 00:53:32,176 --> 00:53:35,613 Rudy gave me the okay to see if I can fix things 1173 00:53:35,646 --> 00:53:36,747 the way I wanted. 1174 00:53:36,781 --> 00:53:39,149 If he could do it better, 1175 00:53:39,183 --> 00:53:40,585 that's good for everybody. 1176 00:53:40,618 --> 00:53:42,620 You know, for me, for him. 1177 00:53:42,653 --> 00:53:44,755 He had no right to even tell him that. 1178 00:53:44,789 --> 00:53:46,524 He could tell him he could do anything. 1179 00:53:46,557 --> 00:53:47,825 He can tell him to go to the moon. 1180 00:53:48,993 --> 00:53:51,161 But there is the problem. 1181 00:53:51,195 --> 00:53:52,630 "No, mine is better." 1182 00:53:52,663 --> 00:53:55,766 I said, "We put 10 different sauces 1183 00:53:55,800 --> 00:53:57,302 "and let a food judge pick." 1184 00:53:57,302 --> 00:53:59,637 But nobody would want to agree. 1185 00:53:59,670 --> 00:54:01,306 You know how the Lebanese way. 1186 00:54:01,306 --> 00:54:03,441 You can't put it through their heads 1187 00:54:03,474 --> 00:54:08,546 that younger guys have, sometimes, better ideas. 1188 00:54:08,579 --> 00:54:13,050 Nazem is grandulizing himself too much. 1189 00:54:14,985 --> 00:54:17,755 NAZEM: I think they were afraid of things 1190 00:54:17,788 --> 00:54:19,724 that will not go their way. 1191 00:54:20,958 --> 00:54:23,027 After I decided not to do it, 1192 00:54:23,060 --> 00:54:24,529 a few got together, 1193 00:54:24,562 --> 00:54:26,531 and they wanted to do it themselves. 1194 00:54:26,564 --> 00:54:29,500 That's when I refused and I wouldn't go with them. 1195 00:54:31,636 --> 00:54:32,770 (JAMIL SPEAKING) 1196 00:54:55,860 --> 00:54:59,364 OMAR: Jamil organized a Summit of the Barons in 1989. 1197 00:54:59,364 --> 00:55:00,798 And perhaps because he wasn't part 1198 00:55:00,831 --> 00:55:02,433 of the Kemaldean family, 1199 00:55:02,467 --> 00:55:05,069 he successfully convinced a dozen or two Barons 1200 00:55:05,102 --> 00:55:07,372 to meet in Edmonton to hear out his vision, 1201 00:55:07,372 --> 00:55:09,740 including my dad and Uncle Abdul-Aziz. 1202 00:55:26,891 --> 00:55:28,893 OMAR: By the end of the 1980s, 1203 00:55:28,926 --> 00:55:30,495 small-town diners like my parents' 1204 00:55:30,528 --> 00:55:33,097 had to contend with name-brand competition 1205 00:55:33,130 --> 00:55:35,165 that had the advertising and buying power 1206 00:55:35,199 --> 00:55:37,502 to price out the moms-and-pops. 1207 00:55:37,535 --> 00:55:40,004 The new franchises couldn't register. 1208 00:55:40,037 --> 00:55:42,573 So it was just like an association. 1209 00:55:49,814 --> 00:55:51,616 They could not try to unite 1210 00:55:51,649 --> 00:55:55,886 the name and get everybody together. 1211 00:55:55,920 --> 00:55:57,955 There was so many people, you know. 1212 00:55:57,988 --> 00:56:00,458 Some of them, they brought their wives, 1213 00:56:00,491 --> 00:56:03,928 and it's just like a gathering. 1214 00:56:03,961 --> 00:56:05,930 Everybody was excited 1215 00:56:05,963 --> 00:56:07,998 about what, in the end, it was gonna be. 1216 00:56:10,067 --> 00:56:11,502 They started talking 1217 00:56:11,536 --> 00:56:13,971 about getting all the buildings the same 1218 00:56:15,039 --> 00:56:16,441 and as soon as they started talking 1219 00:56:16,474 --> 00:56:18,042 about building the same, 1220 00:56:18,075 --> 00:56:20,010 nobody wanted to be involved. 1221 00:56:20,044 --> 00:56:21,646 Almost everybody wanted to leave. 1222 00:56:27,585 --> 00:56:31,055 They said, "Okay, well, don't worry about the building, 1223 00:56:31,088 --> 00:56:33,558 "we're gonna try to join together 1224 00:56:33,591 --> 00:56:36,627 "at least when we buy the groceries 1225 00:56:36,661 --> 00:56:38,796 "and the meat from the company." 1226 00:56:38,829 --> 00:56:40,531 MUSTAPHA: And then after that, he said, 1227 00:56:40,565 --> 00:56:44,301 "If I want to keep going like that, 1228 00:56:44,334 --> 00:56:45,503 "I need to have wages." 1229 00:56:46,203 --> 00:56:47,538 He's gonna be in charge, 1230 00:56:47,572 --> 00:56:51,742 and he's gonna have his own office and secretary. 1231 00:56:51,776 --> 00:56:53,711 And everybody started thinking, 1232 00:56:53,744 --> 00:56:58,182 "Hey, this guy is gonna fool us. No. No." (CHUCKLES) 1233 00:57:10,327 --> 00:57:12,062 You have your own place, 1234 00:57:12,096 --> 00:57:16,501 and now somebody almost control your business 1235 00:57:16,501 --> 00:57:17,635 and tell you what to do, 1236 00:57:18,503 --> 00:57:19,970 and that's the worst. 1237 00:57:20,004 --> 00:57:21,405 I'm the owner. 1238 00:57:21,506 --> 00:57:24,008 And whatever happens, it's my decision. 1239 00:57:34,519 --> 00:57:36,153 OMAR: Jamil did manage to at least get 1240 00:57:36,186 --> 00:57:37,922 that rebate he promised. 1241 00:57:37,955 --> 00:57:40,925 But without any assistance from his fellow Barons, 1242 00:57:40,958 --> 00:57:42,960 he let it expire after two years 1243 00:57:42,993 --> 00:57:44,294 and then retired for good. 1244 00:57:56,574 --> 00:57:59,877 It was a good idea, you know, 1245 00:57:59,910 --> 00:58:01,846 if we went for it, even. 1246 00:58:01,879 --> 00:58:03,881 I think it'll work, 1247 00:58:03,914 --> 00:58:06,717 just like you have at A&W. 1248 00:58:13,991 --> 00:58:17,728 I would have loved to see the Burger Baron 1249 00:58:17,762 --> 00:58:21,065 in a lot better way than it is now. 1250 00:58:21,098 --> 00:58:22,366 OMAR: But this wasn't the end 1251 00:58:22,399 --> 00:58:24,702 of the Burger Barons' franchising efforts. 1252 00:58:24,735 --> 00:58:27,104 As the old guard was losing steam, 1253 00:58:27,137 --> 00:58:29,106 a new generation was making moves. 1254 00:58:34,144 --> 00:58:36,714 We knew that there is an association or some group 1255 00:58:36,747 --> 00:58:37,782 trying to do the same thing. 1256 00:58:37,815 --> 00:58:39,449 It didn't work. 1257 00:58:39,483 --> 00:58:41,886 So I thought maybe I'll try my way 1258 00:58:41,919 --> 00:58:43,788 and I called it Burger Baron: The New Generation. 1259 00:58:43,821 --> 00:58:46,624 I wanted to change the image of the company. 1260 00:58:46,657 --> 00:58:49,827 So I came up with this idea, with the Burger Baron logo, 1261 00:58:49,860 --> 00:58:51,061 the New Generation. 1262 00:58:51,095 --> 00:58:52,830 I thought this was gonna make a new wave. 1263 00:58:52,863 --> 00:58:55,365 At the time, there were 60 Burger Barons. 1264 00:58:56,266 --> 00:58:57,735 So I wanted to unify this 1265 00:58:57,768 --> 00:59:00,304 and put it in one agreement, and one price for everybody. 1266 00:59:00,337 --> 00:59:01,471 Everybody loves it. 1267 00:59:01,505 --> 00:59:02,940 My cousins, my brothers. 1268 00:59:02,973 --> 00:59:05,009 A lot of people showed interest. 1269 00:59:05,042 --> 00:59:06,410 They showed me the support. 1270 00:59:06,443 --> 00:59:08,913 That's why I spent some money doing the jingle. 1271 00:59:08,946 --> 00:59:12,049 (JINGLE PLAYING) * Burger Baron 1272 00:59:12,082 --> 00:59:13,984 * We're the hot spot right here in town... * 1273 00:59:14,018 --> 00:59:16,420 MIKE: They love the jingle, they want to use it. 1274 00:59:16,453 --> 00:59:18,022 They want to be part of it. 1275 00:59:18,055 --> 00:59:20,390 But when they see there is an agreement... 1276 00:59:20,424 --> 00:59:23,227 * ...we'll take it back to the good old days... * 1277 00:59:23,260 --> 00:59:27,197 What I do here is different than what he does. 1278 00:59:27,231 --> 00:59:28,633 "No, I'm not signing this." 1279 00:59:28,633 --> 00:59:30,635 Even within our family. 1280 00:59:33,403 --> 00:59:34,639 My lawyer advised me 1281 00:59:34,639 --> 00:59:37,207 it's too difficult to franchise Burger Baron. 1282 00:59:37,241 --> 00:59:38,676 If you want to claim it, you have to take each 1283 00:59:38,709 --> 00:59:41,178 and every person to court. 1284 00:59:41,211 --> 00:59:44,048 I ended up creating Best Bite. 1285 00:59:44,081 --> 00:59:46,851 So I kept the logo and changed the name 1286 00:59:46,884 --> 00:59:48,285 from Burger Baron: The New Generation. 1287 00:59:48,318 --> 00:59:49,954 OMAR: How's that going? 1288 00:59:49,987 --> 00:59:51,922 So far, this is the first location. 1289 00:59:51,956 --> 00:59:53,724 OMAR: No one has ever paid 1290 00:59:53,758 --> 00:59:55,926 -to use the Best Bite? -Not yet. 1291 00:59:55,960 --> 00:59:57,862 OMAR: What about your family members? 1292 00:59:57,895 --> 01:00:00,665 They like the logo, they took the logo, they use it. 1293 01:00:00,665 --> 01:00:02,366 Maybe it's temporary or not, 1294 01:00:02,399 --> 01:00:03,734 but that's what I'm using right now. 1295 01:00:03,768 --> 01:00:05,302 Every Lebanese guy is like that. 1296 01:00:05,335 --> 01:00:07,104 Maybe that's our brain like that. I don't know. 1297 01:00:07,137 --> 01:00:09,206 I think it's a cultural thing 1298 01:00:09,239 --> 01:00:11,776 that we have such a strong independence 1299 01:00:12,609 --> 01:00:15,445 that a franchise system 1300 01:00:15,479 --> 01:00:17,481 doesn't really work well with us. 1301 01:00:19,917 --> 01:00:22,252 OMAR: This fierce independence has a dark side 1302 01:00:22,286 --> 01:00:24,554 apparent in Lebanon itself. 1303 01:00:24,588 --> 01:00:28,558 It's this chronic disunity that pit party against party, 1304 01:00:28,592 --> 01:00:31,929 religion against religion, and citizen against citizen. 1305 01:00:33,998 --> 01:00:36,734 Though the civil war ended more than 30 years ago, 1306 01:00:36,767 --> 01:00:38,335 the tyranny of incompetence 1307 01:00:38,368 --> 01:00:39,804 spread through every part of Lebanon 1308 01:00:39,837 --> 01:00:42,272 from hyperinflation to basic services 1309 01:00:42,306 --> 01:00:45,810 like garbage collection, electricity and health care. 1310 01:00:50,480 --> 01:00:53,217 It is, by all measures, a failed state. 1311 01:00:58,989 --> 01:01:01,091 RUDY: I am always excited to be here. 1312 01:01:01,125 --> 01:01:03,493 It's a beautiful country, beautiful villages, 1313 01:01:03,527 --> 01:01:05,730 beautiful mountains. 1314 01:01:05,763 --> 01:01:09,399 But with Corona for two years, we stayed home. 1315 01:01:09,433 --> 01:01:12,002 And the situation and politicians 1316 01:01:12,036 --> 01:01:13,537 in Lebanon is bad. 1317 01:01:13,570 --> 01:01:16,540 We will see what is going to happen if all is settled 1318 01:01:16,573 --> 01:01:19,076 and we'll be glad to be here. 1319 01:01:19,109 --> 01:01:21,879 Otherwise, I'll be in Canada, I'll stay there. 1320 01:01:26,416 --> 01:01:28,418 Boy, there's a lot of clothes in this. 1321 01:01:31,822 --> 01:01:35,525 We do like to go on holidays and rest 1322 01:01:35,559 --> 01:01:39,129 because I spend lots of time with the Burger Barons, 1323 01:01:39,163 --> 01:01:41,198 working 18 hours a day, 1324 01:01:41,231 --> 01:01:45,169 every day, every week, and you don't go anywhere. 1325 01:01:45,903 --> 01:01:47,772 Just a big prison. 1326 01:01:47,772 --> 01:01:49,774 About 15 years ago, 1327 01:01:49,774 --> 01:01:51,842 we started coming to Lebanon 1328 01:01:52,777 --> 01:01:54,411 four or five months here, 1329 01:01:54,444 --> 01:01:58,148 and four or five, the rest, in Canada. 1330 01:01:58,182 --> 01:02:00,650 There used to be a Burger Baron in Aley. 1331 01:02:00,684 --> 01:02:02,086 We used to go there. 1332 01:02:02,119 --> 01:02:07,792 And it's very good food and we used to enjoy it. 1333 01:02:07,792 --> 01:02:10,861 All of a sudden, when we came back this year, 1334 01:02:10,895 --> 01:02:12,496 it closed down. 1335 01:02:12,529 --> 01:02:15,065 It looks like something else, like a butcher shop inside. 1336 01:02:15,099 --> 01:02:16,333 They still got the same, 1337 01:02:16,366 --> 01:02:18,535 the Burger Baron sign, in there. 1338 01:02:20,504 --> 01:02:23,240 OMAR: Rudy officially retired in 2015. 1339 01:02:23,273 --> 01:02:26,676 But he gave up on being the Godfather long ago, 1340 01:02:26,710 --> 01:02:29,546 with some hard-earned lessons about loyalty and trust. 1341 01:02:30,614 --> 01:02:33,050 Most of the time, they lose their business 1342 01:02:33,083 --> 01:02:35,820 because they never look after it. 1343 01:02:37,687 --> 01:02:39,056 They go have a good time 1344 01:02:39,089 --> 01:02:41,725 and I get stuck looking after it, 1345 01:02:41,826 --> 01:02:43,527 everyone I helped. 1346 01:02:43,560 --> 01:02:47,932 They put the blame on me if they didn't make money. 1347 01:02:47,965 --> 01:02:50,935 So that's why, now, 1348 01:02:50,968 --> 01:02:53,570 even at that time, they went on their own 1349 01:02:53,603 --> 01:02:55,339 and I was on my own. 1350 01:02:55,372 --> 01:02:57,707 Not involved with any of my cousins 1351 01:02:57,741 --> 01:03:01,445 or brothers or anything. 1352 01:03:01,478 --> 01:03:06,150 My father, he's a very generous, giving man 1353 01:03:06,183 --> 01:03:09,586 but that also opens doors to, you know, 1354 01:03:09,619 --> 01:03:11,121 sometimes being taken advantage of. 1355 01:03:12,222 --> 01:03:13,357 And unfortunately, 1356 01:03:13,390 --> 01:03:15,993 I saw quite a bit of that as well. 1357 01:03:16,026 --> 01:03:18,095 We were having a hard time back in the '80s. 1358 01:03:18,128 --> 01:03:19,930 He had lost a motel he used to own. 1359 01:03:19,964 --> 01:03:21,498 He was spread too thin. 1360 01:03:21,531 --> 01:03:22,967 So without getting into too much detail, 1361 01:03:23,000 --> 01:03:25,669 let's just say if the Kemaldean family 1362 01:03:25,702 --> 01:03:27,938 worked as close together 1363 01:03:27,972 --> 01:03:30,540 as I wish they would have, 1364 01:03:31,876 --> 01:03:33,978 they'd probably be billionaires right now. 1365 01:03:34,011 --> 01:03:35,880 Some relatives and others, 1366 01:03:35,880 --> 01:03:37,681 they never call me. 1367 01:03:37,714 --> 01:03:40,550 They come and visit once in a while 1368 01:03:40,584 --> 01:03:43,620 if they need something, in most cases. 1369 01:03:43,653 --> 01:03:49,159 I learned not to help anybody if I am not too sure of them. 1370 01:03:49,193 --> 01:03:51,896 Do you think that the success of the Burger Baron 1371 01:03:51,896 --> 01:03:54,364 was a curse over your family 1372 01:03:54,398 --> 01:03:56,901 and your relationship with your brothers? 1373 01:03:56,901 --> 01:04:00,137 Well it turns out, it might be. It might be. 1374 01:04:00,170 --> 01:04:02,006 Because I was successful, 1375 01:04:02,039 --> 01:04:05,709 and everybody thinks if they open Burger Baron, 1376 01:04:05,742 --> 01:04:08,545 they'll probably be like Rudy, they'll be successful. 1377 01:04:08,578 --> 01:04:10,747 But, I mean, you have to work like Rudy. 1378 01:04:10,780 --> 01:04:14,718 Not go picnic and leave staff running the place. 1379 01:04:14,751 --> 01:04:17,821 You have to work and work and work. 1380 01:04:17,922 --> 01:04:19,957 Anything you want to do, 1381 01:04:19,990 --> 01:04:21,959 you'll have to do it right or don't do it, 1382 01:04:21,992 --> 01:04:23,560 simple as that. 1383 01:04:23,593 --> 01:04:29,499 I had enough of the whole deal, and, to me, I should learn. 1384 01:04:29,533 --> 01:04:34,471 And I did learn, so I'm okay after that. 1385 01:04:34,504 --> 01:04:36,974 OMAR: Rudy's decision to pull back his influence 1386 01:04:37,007 --> 01:04:39,843 created an opportunity for a new Godfather, 1387 01:04:39,944 --> 01:04:43,313 and one showed up in the most unlikely form. 1388 01:04:43,347 --> 01:04:46,984 In 1996, two trademark applications were submitted 1389 01:04:47,017 --> 01:04:48,685 for the Burger Baron name and logo 1390 01:04:48,718 --> 01:04:50,354 from Regina, Saskatchewan, 1391 01:04:50,387 --> 01:04:51,989 and the applicant was none other 1392 01:04:52,022 --> 01:04:54,258 than Jack McDonnell's widow Rikie. 1393 01:04:54,291 --> 01:04:56,593 She'd been operating a popular Burger Baron 1394 01:04:56,626 --> 01:04:57,962 after his death, 1395 01:04:57,962 --> 01:04:59,997 and was preparing to appoint her son James 1396 01:05:00,030 --> 01:05:01,131 to the throne. 1397 01:05:01,165 --> 01:05:03,000 TERRY: When Dad died, 1398 01:05:03,033 --> 01:05:05,535 Rikie moved back to Regina, 1399 01:05:05,569 --> 01:05:09,339 then she built a new one on the lot. 1400 01:05:09,373 --> 01:05:11,841 REPORTER: While there are many fast food choices available, 1401 01:05:11,875 --> 01:05:14,111 McDonnell hopes his gamble will pay off 1402 01:05:14,144 --> 01:05:15,980 and cook up even more business 1403 01:05:15,980 --> 01:05:19,249 for his locally-owned and-operated Burger Baron. 1404 01:05:19,283 --> 01:05:21,351 I'm a capitalist and I just wanted 1405 01:05:21,385 --> 01:05:22,552 to grow the business, 1406 01:05:22,586 --> 01:05:23,988 and hopefully move forward after this 1407 01:05:23,988 --> 01:05:26,756 maybe to Saskatoon and other markets after this. 1408 01:05:26,790 --> 01:05:28,692 EMPLOYEE: There you go. WOMAN: Thank you. 1409 01:05:28,725 --> 01:05:31,228 OMAR: Ready to expand to a second location, 1410 01:05:31,261 --> 01:05:33,230 Rikie's sons had advised their mom 1411 01:05:33,263 --> 01:05:36,266 to protect the family legacy once and for all. 1412 01:05:36,300 --> 01:05:38,602 Their trademark was challenged almost immediately 1413 01:05:38,635 --> 01:05:42,139 by another company, Kemaldean Food Enterprises. 1414 01:05:42,172 --> 01:05:44,041 But it wasn't Rudy in charge now. 1415 01:05:44,074 --> 01:05:45,909 It was his younger brother, Sal. 1416 01:05:46,010 --> 01:05:49,646 Rikie McDonnell applied one week earlier than I did. 1417 01:05:49,679 --> 01:05:52,816 -OMAR: Just by coincidence? -It's a coincidence. Yes. 1418 01:05:54,184 --> 01:05:56,220 The both of you decided... 1419 01:05:56,253 --> 01:05:57,787 -It is... -...that it was time 1420 01:05:57,821 --> 01:06:01,225 to finally rein in the Burger Baron 1421 01:06:01,258 --> 01:06:05,062 -after 34 years? -Years. 1422 01:06:05,095 --> 01:06:07,031 That is the funniest part about it. 1423 01:06:07,031 --> 01:06:11,635 I said, "Rikie, you applied one week earlier than I do. 1424 01:06:11,668 --> 01:06:14,038 "I could be spending a couple of $100,000 1425 01:06:14,038 --> 01:06:15,139 "for lawyers' fees, 1426 01:06:15,172 --> 01:06:16,240 "and you could be spending 1427 01:06:16,273 --> 01:06:18,075 "a couple $100,000 for lawyers' fees 1428 01:06:18,108 --> 01:06:19,643 "and we will not get anywhere." 1429 01:06:19,676 --> 01:06:21,645 OMAR: Rather than fight it in court, 1430 01:06:21,678 --> 01:06:23,580 they decided to split the territory. 1431 01:06:23,613 --> 01:06:26,583 Rikie would get Eastern Canada and the US, 1432 01:06:26,616 --> 01:06:29,186 and the Kemaldeans would get Alberta and BC. 1433 01:06:30,554 --> 01:06:32,889 TERRY: Rikie talked to me about it, and I said, 1434 01:06:32,922 --> 01:06:34,258 "I don't think you should. 1435 01:06:34,291 --> 01:06:36,393 "I think you should leave that one alone." 1436 01:06:36,426 --> 01:06:38,328 The name is across the country, 1437 01:06:38,362 --> 01:06:40,264 you can't go back to them and say, 1438 01:06:40,297 --> 01:06:42,399 "You owe me a whole bunch of franchise fees, 1439 01:06:43,867 --> 01:06:46,503 "a percentage of your gross in the last 20 years." 1440 01:06:46,536 --> 01:06:47,871 You know, that's not gonna work. 1441 01:06:47,904 --> 01:06:52,676 The evidentiary question of who started Burger Baron, 1442 01:06:52,709 --> 01:06:55,412 who had the original IP, 1443 01:06:55,445 --> 01:06:58,348 is so lost in time 1444 01:06:58,382 --> 01:07:02,686 that it would be very difficult for somebody to succeed 1445 01:07:02,719 --> 01:07:04,254 on either a passing-off claim 1446 01:07:04,288 --> 01:07:07,091 or a trademark enforcement claim. 1447 01:07:07,124 --> 01:07:08,792 TERRY: The corporation had the rights 1448 01:07:08,825 --> 01:07:10,427 to the trade name, 1449 01:07:10,460 --> 01:07:12,262 and the corporation went under, 1450 01:07:12,296 --> 01:07:13,663 and nobody had it. 1451 01:07:13,697 --> 01:07:16,433 It was up for anybody who wants it. 1452 01:07:16,466 --> 01:07:18,135 Anyway, they went ahead with it. 1453 01:07:18,168 --> 01:07:19,803 I don't think anything came of it. 1454 01:07:25,709 --> 01:07:27,611 OMAR: Certainly nothing came of it for Rikie 1455 01:07:27,644 --> 01:07:29,113 out in Saskatchewan. 1456 01:07:29,146 --> 01:07:30,847 She was the lone Baroness 1457 01:07:30,880 --> 01:07:32,449 running two successful restaurants 1458 01:07:32,482 --> 01:07:34,384 with her son, James. 1459 01:07:34,418 --> 01:07:36,420 But Alberta was a different story. 1460 01:07:37,354 --> 01:07:38,988 When we got the franchise, 1461 01:07:39,022 --> 01:07:40,990 that's when I got stern with everybody. 1462 01:07:45,429 --> 01:07:47,131 Nobody cared about it, 1463 01:07:47,131 --> 01:07:48,732 as long as they're making money and putting it in their pocket, 1464 01:07:48,765 --> 01:07:50,534 they don't care about what the Burger Baron looks like. 1465 01:07:50,567 --> 01:07:52,902 He said, "Excuse me, who allowed you 1466 01:07:52,936 --> 01:07:54,671 "to open Burger Baron?" 1467 01:07:54,704 --> 01:07:57,006 I said, "Well, I allowed myself." 1468 01:07:57,040 --> 01:08:02,146 He phoned and he told me he's the original owner. 1469 01:08:02,179 --> 01:08:06,983 I never said that I invented the Burger Baron, or did that. 1470 01:08:26,303 --> 01:08:29,406 He said, "You know, the name, 1471 01:08:29,439 --> 01:08:33,277 "it's gonna cost you $450 a month." 1472 01:08:33,310 --> 01:08:35,345 So I said, "You're not getting nothing." 1473 01:08:35,379 --> 01:08:36,446 See, that's the problem 1474 01:08:36,480 --> 01:08:38,348 with the Lebanese mentality this way. 1475 01:08:38,382 --> 01:08:41,084 They cannot accept one person in charge. 1476 01:08:41,185 --> 01:08:43,453 They cannot. It's against their genes. 1477 01:08:43,487 --> 01:08:47,090 Whether he allowed me or not, I'm not gonna keep it, anyway. 1478 01:08:47,191 --> 01:08:48,758 Until I see something legal. 1479 01:08:48,792 --> 01:08:50,194 I don't care who it is. 1480 01:08:50,194 --> 01:08:51,495 You should've seen me with my... 1481 01:08:51,528 --> 01:08:53,197 I fired my kids one time. 1482 01:08:55,999 --> 01:08:57,301 If I do it with my family, 1483 01:08:57,334 --> 01:08:59,336 do you think I wouldn't do it to some nincompoop? 1484 01:09:18,222 --> 01:09:19,789 I didn't do anything. 1485 01:09:19,823 --> 01:09:21,991 So things went with the wind. 1486 01:09:24,093 --> 01:09:27,030 I became the bad guy of the Burger Baron. 1487 01:09:27,063 --> 01:09:29,766 And Rudy is the Godfather of the Burger Baron. 1488 01:09:33,437 --> 01:09:35,038 OMAR: Although Sal Kemaldean 1489 01:09:35,071 --> 01:09:36,806 had bought into the rights to oversee Burger Baron 1490 01:09:36,840 --> 01:09:38,242 in western Canada, 1491 01:09:38,275 --> 01:09:41,911 that didn't give him ownership over the brand's IP. 1492 01:09:41,945 --> 01:09:44,047 When the company's president James learned 1493 01:09:44,080 --> 01:09:45,982 his partner had been misrepresenting himself 1494 01:09:46,015 --> 01:09:47,284 as the founder 1495 01:09:47,317 --> 01:09:50,086 and using his slogans without permission, 1496 01:09:50,119 --> 01:09:52,289 he threatened Sal with a cease-and-desist. 1497 01:09:53,857 --> 01:09:56,092 Soon after they resolved their issues, 1498 01:09:56,125 --> 01:09:58,262 Sal resigned and passed his company shares 1499 01:09:58,295 --> 01:10:01,164 down to his next of kin, a Baroness. 1500 01:10:02,366 --> 01:10:04,834 My name is Tamara Kemaleddine Anghel 1501 01:10:04,868 --> 01:10:06,503 and my relationship to the Burger Baron 1502 01:10:06,536 --> 01:10:09,439 is I am now a 50% shareholder 1503 01:10:09,473 --> 01:10:10,940 of Burger Baron Canada. 1504 01:10:10,974 --> 01:10:12,609 Burger Baron's been part of my life 1505 01:10:12,642 --> 01:10:14,411 for as far back as I can remember. 1506 01:10:14,444 --> 01:10:17,180 I ran my own location for 21 years 1507 01:10:17,213 --> 01:10:18,615 here in Lethbridge, as well. 1508 01:10:18,648 --> 01:10:20,417 So, it's just in our blood. 1509 01:10:20,450 --> 01:10:22,519 I think the biggest obstacle 1510 01:10:23,720 --> 01:10:27,023 is trying to band everyone together 1511 01:10:27,056 --> 01:10:29,926 to realize that things could be stronger 1512 01:10:29,959 --> 01:10:32,362 as opposed to having them feel 1513 01:10:32,396 --> 01:10:34,264 that you're taking away from them. 1514 01:10:34,298 --> 01:10:37,100 And I think it's just a lot of old-school mentality, 1515 01:10:37,133 --> 01:10:38,201 Lebanese mentality. 1516 01:10:38,234 --> 01:10:39,969 "I'm the best, and why do you think 1517 01:10:40,003 --> 01:10:42,306 "you can do something better than I can do?" 1518 01:10:42,339 --> 01:10:43,607 Whereas I'm not trying to tell them 1519 01:10:43,640 --> 01:10:46,876 that I can do something better than you can do, 1520 01:10:46,910 --> 01:10:48,712 but you've got ideas, and I've got ideas, 1521 01:10:48,745 --> 01:10:50,614 and he's got ideas, and she's got ideas, 1522 01:10:50,647 --> 01:10:51,981 and we put them all together, 1523 01:10:52,015 --> 01:10:54,518 and we can be something real and something strong, 1524 01:10:54,551 --> 01:10:56,119 as opposed to just being a meme. 1525 01:10:56,152 --> 01:10:58,622 OMAR: How realistic do you think it is 1526 01:10:58,655 --> 01:11:01,891 for the Burger Barons to come together and agree, 1527 01:11:01,925 --> 01:11:05,895 not just to elect one Baron, but one Baroness? 1528 01:11:05,929 --> 01:11:08,498 How likely, at its present situation? 1529 01:11:09,899 --> 01:11:10,900 Not great. 1530 01:11:11,801 --> 01:11:13,703 But I believe in the future, 1531 01:11:13,737 --> 01:11:15,171 and the younger generation 1532 01:11:17,073 --> 01:11:19,042 have the ability to see outside that box 1533 01:11:19,075 --> 01:11:21,578 and that could become a reality. 1534 01:11:21,611 --> 01:11:24,348 I just don't think that women 1535 01:11:24,348 --> 01:11:26,450 in the Lebanese culture, are given enough opportunity 1536 01:11:26,483 --> 01:11:27,717 to be able to do that. 1537 01:11:27,751 --> 01:11:29,453 It's always the men in the control 1538 01:11:29,486 --> 01:11:32,121 and the women are the silent ones. 1539 01:11:32,155 --> 01:11:34,257 Even though they do have a pull and they do have a say, 1540 01:11:34,358 --> 01:11:37,461 it's the men that are the face of any business that's been run. 1541 01:11:37,494 --> 01:11:39,596 OMAR: In those eight years, have you managed 1542 01:11:39,629 --> 01:11:42,231 to successfully franchise a new Burger Baron? 1543 01:11:42,265 --> 01:11:43,400 -Not yet. -No. 1544 01:11:43,433 --> 01:11:45,769 Do you think that owning the copyright 1545 01:11:45,802 --> 01:11:48,137 then encouraged more knock-offs? 1546 01:11:48,171 --> 01:11:50,974 The knock-offs have been around for a while as well. 1547 01:11:51,007 --> 01:11:53,176 They're not running as a Burger Baron. 1548 01:11:53,209 --> 01:11:55,078 Some of them have been Burger Barons 1549 01:11:55,111 --> 01:11:56,380 and change their names, 1550 01:11:56,380 --> 01:11:58,181 but I don't think that there's any new, 1551 01:11:58,214 --> 01:12:00,650 recent abundance of knock-offs, no. 1552 01:12:14,564 --> 01:12:16,433 The brand identity is completely different. 1553 01:12:16,466 --> 01:12:18,535 The color schemes are completely different. 1554 01:12:18,568 --> 01:12:21,104 And it's Burger Barons, with an S. 1555 01:12:21,137 --> 01:12:23,072 It's not a Burger Baron. 1556 01:12:23,106 --> 01:12:27,310 I have faith that the brand can first grow within Alberta, 1557 01:12:28,412 --> 01:12:31,214 and then other places, internationally. 1558 01:12:31,247 --> 01:12:35,419 I have all the qualifications to do that, humbly speaking. 1559 01:12:35,419 --> 01:12:37,086 I worked in Switzerland, I worked in Germany, 1560 01:12:37,120 --> 01:12:40,957 in Dubai and London as a marketing director. 1561 01:12:40,990 --> 01:12:43,126 My childhood was actually in Toronto. 1562 01:12:43,159 --> 01:12:44,594 My parents came down 1563 01:12:44,628 --> 01:12:47,096 to visit family friends in Alberta a long time ago. 1564 01:12:47,130 --> 01:12:49,098 Every time I wanted to come and have a burger, 1565 01:12:49,132 --> 01:12:51,134 I'll tell my parents, "Let's go to Uncle Nazzi." 1566 01:12:51,167 --> 01:12:52,436 Little did I know, 1567 01:12:52,436 --> 01:12:53,470 I'm gonna come back to the place 1568 01:12:53,503 --> 01:12:55,004 that I held close to my heart. 1569 01:12:55,805 --> 01:12:57,607 I want to ensure 1570 01:12:57,641 --> 01:12:59,909 that the brand lives in the hearts of the people 1571 01:12:59,943 --> 01:13:01,911 like it lived in my heart as a child. 1572 01:13:01,945 --> 01:13:05,615 The newer menu is by far much more sophisticated. 1573 01:13:05,649 --> 01:13:08,051 We've changed the Mushroom Burger recipe. 1574 01:13:08,084 --> 01:13:09,886 So the secret recipes for the rest of the burgers 1575 01:13:09,919 --> 01:13:11,455 isn't made available. 1576 01:13:11,488 --> 01:13:14,558 Unless they franchise with me, then only will it be available. 1577 01:13:14,591 --> 01:13:17,226 I've actually trademarked the logo and the identity, 1578 01:13:17,260 --> 01:13:18,828 and the menu, and the name. 1579 01:13:20,196 --> 01:13:22,331 I've been going back and forth with my lawyer 1580 01:13:22,365 --> 01:13:23,967 on different aspects of it, 1581 01:13:24,000 --> 01:13:27,637 and what can hold ground and what can't. 1582 01:13:27,671 --> 01:13:29,038 So it's really up in the air. 1583 01:13:29,072 --> 01:13:30,807 OMAR: What about the Burger Baron 1584 01:13:30,840 --> 01:13:32,308 parody account on Twitter? 1585 01:13:32,341 --> 01:13:33,376 Yeah, I've... 1586 01:13:34,478 --> 01:13:35,912 -You're not familiar? -Yes. 1587 01:13:35,945 --> 01:13:37,914 -Okay. -I know about them. (CHUCKLES) 1588 01:13:41,485 --> 01:13:43,553 MAN 8: On Twitter, there is a Burger Baron account, 1589 01:13:43,587 --> 01:13:46,355 and it's run by somebody, eh, we don't know who. 1590 01:13:46,389 --> 01:13:48,558 He will tweet a lot of opinions, 1591 01:13:48,592 --> 01:13:50,393 profane and profound. 1592 01:13:50,494 --> 01:13:51,828 I love it. I think it's great. 1593 01:13:51,861 --> 01:13:53,329 It does give us a bad name. 1594 01:13:53,362 --> 01:13:55,198 And that's not who we are and that's not what we promote. 1595 01:13:55,231 --> 01:13:56,533 I think it's pretty funny. 1596 01:13:56,566 --> 01:13:59,002 It's kind of raunchy, it's not PG. 1597 01:13:59,035 --> 01:14:01,170 Not a lot of people know 1598 01:14:01,204 --> 01:14:04,641 that it's not an official account. 1599 01:14:04,674 --> 01:14:06,342 You know, we're a family-run business 1600 01:14:06,375 --> 01:14:07,677 and we support all franchises, 1601 01:14:07,711 --> 01:14:09,078 but obviously it hurts us. 1602 01:14:09,112 --> 01:14:11,280 It's not right to bash another restaurant. 1603 01:14:11,314 --> 01:14:12,582 I know that's a fake account. 1604 01:14:12,616 --> 01:14:14,083 I'm aware. I'm aware of that. 1605 01:14:14,117 --> 01:14:15,652 Yes. I don't know who that is. 1606 01:14:15,685 --> 01:14:16,786 Is that you? 1607 01:14:16,820 --> 01:14:18,855 It makes us look like a bad guy, 1608 01:14:18,888 --> 01:14:20,624 that we're, oh, all about us 1609 01:14:20,657 --> 01:14:22,826 and only us, and that's not true. 1610 01:14:22,859 --> 01:14:24,694 I find his humor funny. 1611 01:14:24,728 --> 01:14:25,862 Is that you? 1612 01:14:25,895 --> 01:14:27,363 No, Whallah, it's not me. 1613 01:14:27,396 --> 01:14:30,266 OMAR: It's not me, I swear. 1614 01:14:30,299 --> 01:14:32,168 I tried my best to get the mystery person 1615 01:14:32,201 --> 01:14:34,103 to come forward, clear my name, 1616 01:14:34,137 --> 01:14:36,973 or at least explain their obsession with the Baron. 1617 01:14:41,010 --> 01:14:42,846 I offered them the full anonymity 1618 01:14:42,879 --> 01:14:45,348 of a government whistle-blower. 1619 01:14:45,381 --> 01:14:47,717 But even revealing themselves to a handful of people 1620 01:14:47,751 --> 01:14:49,285 was apparently too risky. 1621 01:14:52,221 --> 01:14:54,891 However, I did manage to get a few questions through. 1622 01:14:55,759 --> 01:14:57,026 OMAR: I can pass that to you, 1623 01:14:57,927 --> 01:14:59,428 and then you read the answers. 1624 01:15:01,565 --> 01:15:02,632 OMAR: What inspired you to create 1625 01:15:02,666 --> 01:15:03,833 the Burger Baron parody account? 1626 01:15:03,867 --> 01:15:05,569 "It was clear that the Baron needed a voice 1627 01:15:05,569 --> 01:15:08,071 "and someone for the loyal customers to rally around. 1628 01:15:08,104 --> 01:15:10,406 "All the corporate accounts are boring as shit 1629 01:15:10,439 --> 01:15:11,575 "and ran by some..." 1630 01:15:11,575 --> 01:15:13,309 "...asshole with a popped collar 1631 01:15:13,342 --> 01:15:14,778 "and cotton candy vape pen..." 1632 01:15:14,811 --> 01:15:17,814 "...who has never set foot in Alberta. 1633 01:15:17,847 --> 01:15:18,915 "People want..." 1634 01:15:18,948 --> 01:15:21,084 "...to get a dose of the local culture 1635 01:15:21,117 --> 01:15:23,419 -"that makes it what it is." -WOMAN: Aww. 1636 01:15:23,452 --> 01:15:25,955 It feels like he's trying to hold on to a childhood. 1637 01:15:25,989 --> 01:15:27,390 "When did you start picking fights 1638 01:15:27,423 --> 01:15:29,593 "with other fast food chains on Twitter?" 1639 01:15:29,626 --> 01:15:31,628 "Look, the Baron has always been fair to Harvey's, 1640 01:15:31,661 --> 01:15:32,729 "but the rest can..." 1641 01:15:32,762 --> 01:15:33,797 "...fuck right off. 1642 01:15:33,830 --> 01:15:35,064 "The social media manager 1643 01:15:35,098 --> 01:15:37,133 "posing as a redhead or the clown 1644 01:15:37,166 --> 01:15:38,835 "trying to bite back every now and then, 1645 01:15:38,868 --> 01:15:39,936 "but they're restrained by..." 1646 01:15:39,969 --> 01:15:41,404 "...the corporate responsibility..." 1647 01:15:41,437 --> 01:15:43,339 "...and a properly trademarked brand." 1648 01:15:43,372 --> 01:15:45,408 OMAR: "So what is your actual opinion 1649 01:15:45,441 --> 01:15:46,743 "of Burger Baron food?" 1650 01:15:46,776 --> 01:15:48,444 "There isn't a Burger Baron joint in Alberta 1651 01:15:48,477 --> 01:15:49,979 "with more history and a devoted loyal following 1652 01:15:50,013 --> 01:15:51,080 "than the Baron." 1653 01:15:51,114 --> 01:15:52,315 "And for good reason. 1654 01:15:52,348 --> 01:15:56,019 "Not many people can name their favorite..." 1655 01:15:56,052 --> 01:15:57,954 "...McMonstrosity. (CHUCKLES) 1656 01:15:57,987 --> 01:15:59,322 "But all Baron junkies can name 1657 01:15:59,355 --> 01:16:00,690 "the exact Burger Baron order 1658 01:16:00,724 --> 01:16:02,626 "they would get and from what location." 1659 01:16:02,626 --> 01:16:04,628 "And if you're lucky enough to have one 1660 01:16:04,628 --> 01:16:06,095 "that sells fried chicken..." 1661 01:16:06,129 --> 01:16:07,764 -Which we do over here. -(LAUGHS) 1662 01:16:07,797 --> 01:16:10,066 "Not sure why you would ever leave. 1663 01:16:10,099 --> 01:16:12,168 "My death row meal would easily be the fritters, 1664 01:16:12,201 --> 01:16:13,502 "fries and double mush..." 1665 01:16:13,536 --> 01:16:15,639 "...with the biggest bucket of gravy they got." 1666 01:16:15,639 --> 01:16:18,207 No, the gravy is great. We make our own gravy. 1667 01:16:18,241 --> 01:16:20,910 "Long live Jewel of the Gravy District." 1668 01:16:26,315 --> 01:16:27,416 Yeah. 1669 01:16:28,484 --> 01:16:30,053 Obviously, he... 1670 01:16:32,321 --> 01:16:33,957 He holds Burger Baron in his heart, 1671 01:16:33,990 --> 01:16:36,660 but I just think he goes about it 1672 01:16:36,660 --> 01:16:38,194 quite disrespectful to Burger Baron. 1673 01:16:38,227 --> 01:16:40,964 OMAR: There is a certain subset of people 1674 01:16:40,997 --> 01:16:44,734 for whom the parody account is actually good advertising. 1675 01:16:44,768 --> 01:16:48,471 They kind of love the fact that the Burger Baron 1676 01:16:48,504 --> 01:16:51,675 has been a bit of a shitshow. 1677 01:16:51,675 --> 01:16:53,877 I have no idea what the appeal to that would be. 1678 01:16:53,910 --> 01:16:55,679 DONOVAN: Because it's been a photocopy 1679 01:16:55,679 --> 01:16:57,280 of a photocopy of a print 1680 01:16:57,313 --> 01:16:58,581 of a photocopy of a photo 1681 01:16:58,682 --> 01:17:01,284 that somebody took on their Polaroid, 1682 01:17:01,317 --> 01:17:02,752 there's all these variations. 1683 01:17:02,786 --> 01:17:04,821 And I don't know if that's part of the charm. 1684 01:17:04,854 --> 01:17:07,123 ALADEAN: I've talked people, tried to explain it, 1685 01:17:07,156 --> 01:17:09,458 because if someone sees me with a tattoo of it, 1686 01:17:09,492 --> 01:17:11,127 they're like, "What the hell is that?" 1687 01:17:11,160 --> 01:17:12,962 I'm like, "Yeah, no, it's a burger and it's good, 1688 01:17:12,996 --> 01:17:15,331 "but it's spongy, so it's kind of weird. 1689 01:17:15,364 --> 01:17:16,733 "And then also they put 1690 01:17:16,766 --> 01:17:18,567 "Campbell's mushroom soup concentrate 1691 01:17:18,601 --> 01:17:21,370 "on top of the burger, which is awesome." 1692 01:17:21,404 --> 01:17:22,839 And people are like, "That sounds terrible." 1693 01:17:22,872 --> 01:17:24,140 And I'm like, "No, it's really good." 1694 01:17:24,173 --> 01:17:25,474 Burger Baron represents 1695 01:17:25,508 --> 01:17:29,078 every amazing small town in Alberta 1696 01:17:29,112 --> 01:17:32,081 and what it's like to live in a small town in Alberta. 1697 01:17:32,115 --> 01:17:34,718 That's part of the amazing story that I think is awesome, 1698 01:17:34,751 --> 01:17:37,086 that it's this amazing immigration story 1699 01:17:37,120 --> 01:17:38,822 where people come here... 1700 01:17:38,855 --> 01:17:41,224 Could you imagine living in Alberta in the '70s? 1701 01:17:41,257 --> 01:17:44,227 We're not the most progressive place in the world. 1702 01:17:44,260 --> 01:17:46,863 I can't imagine how hard that would have been 1703 01:17:46,896 --> 01:17:49,032 to be slightly different than everybody else 1704 01:17:49,065 --> 01:17:50,166 and trying to fit in. 1705 01:17:50,199 --> 01:17:52,736 Well, you lived it. 1706 01:17:52,769 --> 01:17:55,438 OMAR: I wouldn't exactly say that I lived it. 1707 01:17:55,471 --> 01:17:58,574 By the time I was born, my family was well-established. 1708 01:17:58,607 --> 01:18:00,243 But my parents lived it. 1709 01:18:00,276 --> 01:18:02,511 It's just something they don't like to talk about. 1710 01:18:02,545 --> 01:18:06,816 Did you guys ever face any racism or discrimination? 1711 01:18:06,850 --> 01:18:08,017 -Never. -Never. 1712 01:18:18,527 --> 01:18:19,863 TAMAM: Not a slap like you mean. 1713 01:18:19,896 --> 01:18:21,831 -(OMAR LAUGHS) -You translate it to English, 1714 01:18:21,865 --> 01:18:22,966 it's not a... 1715 01:18:22,999 --> 01:18:24,834 OMAR: You've never slapped a guy, okay. 1716 01:18:24,868 --> 01:18:26,770 But have you wanted to slap a guy? 1717 01:18:29,238 --> 01:18:33,777 You don't think people ever got upset or jealous 1718 01:18:33,777 --> 01:18:37,847 that immigrants coming into this small town 1719 01:18:37,881 --> 01:18:41,918 and really, you know, ascending? 1720 01:19:03,106 --> 01:19:04,808 OMAR: I got the sense from my parents 1721 01:19:04,808 --> 01:19:06,542 and the other first generation Barons 1722 01:19:06,575 --> 01:19:08,945 that they were holding back the truth a little bit, 1723 01:19:08,978 --> 01:19:11,414 either because they had a business to protect 1724 01:19:11,447 --> 01:19:12,916 and they didn't want to rock the boat, 1725 01:19:12,949 --> 01:19:16,619 or they just didn't want to appear ungrateful. 1726 01:19:16,652 --> 01:19:18,154 When was the last time you ate at Burger Baron? 1727 01:19:18,187 --> 01:19:19,823 I don't know. It's been a while, 1728 01:19:19,823 --> 01:19:23,192 but when my parents came over last weekend, 1729 01:19:24,093 --> 01:19:25,228 I asked them to bring me 1730 01:19:25,261 --> 01:19:26,662 -a Mushroom Burger. -(LAUGHS) 1731 01:19:26,695 --> 01:19:28,631 OMAR: Small towns can be fertile ground 1732 01:19:28,664 --> 01:19:29,999 to start a successful business 1733 01:19:30,033 --> 01:19:32,335 and secure your children's future. 1734 01:19:32,368 --> 01:19:34,137 But it can come at another cost for them. 1735 01:19:34,871 --> 01:19:36,239 Thank you. 1736 01:19:36,272 --> 01:19:38,507 Nobody knows this better than Nizar Watfa, 1737 01:19:38,541 --> 01:19:41,010 a Burger Baronet who turned those hardships 1738 01:19:41,044 --> 01:19:42,311 into a persona. 1739 01:19:42,345 --> 01:19:43,947 ANNOUNCER: Ladies and gentlemen, 1740 01:19:43,980 --> 01:19:48,584 -Sheik Akbar Shabaz. -(ALL CHEERING) 1741 01:19:48,617 --> 01:19:49,986 NIZAR: Well, ever since I was a kid, 1742 01:19:50,019 --> 01:19:52,188 for as long as I can remember, 1743 01:19:52,221 --> 01:19:54,357 I had to deal with it to some extent. 1744 01:19:54,390 --> 01:19:56,025 When I first moved to Lamont, 1745 01:19:56,059 --> 01:19:57,493 there was a quite a bit of racism. 1746 01:19:57,526 --> 01:19:58,995 People would make fun of my name. 1747 01:19:59,028 --> 01:20:02,631 And once they got to know me, they kind of stopped, 1748 01:20:02,665 --> 01:20:04,834 but there was always still one or two kids 1749 01:20:04,868 --> 01:20:06,602 that would say something 1750 01:20:06,635 --> 01:20:08,237 that was kind of off-color or racist. 1751 01:20:09,805 --> 01:20:11,640 -To them, it was normal. -Yeah. 1752 01:20:11,674 --> 01:20:13,209 And they would laugh, kind of thing. 1753 01:20:13,242 --> 01:20:16,279 But whether it hurt me or not, I wouldn't let people see it. 1754 01:20:16,312 --> 01:20:18,347 When you bring it up with the Burger Baron owners, 1755 01:20:18,381 --> 01:20:19,949 it's a completely different answer 1756 01:20:19,983 --> 01:20:21,717 based on the generation you ask. 1757 01:20:21,750 --> 01:20:25,688 NIZAR: I think that a lot of it had to do with... 1758 01:20:25,721 --> 01:20:28,024 Maybe they didn't know 1759 01:20:28,057 --> 01:20:29,392 that you can say something. 1760 01:20:29,425 --> 01:20:32,295 My dad was always worried about us 1761 01:20:32,328 --> 01:20:34,197 because we're the only minority 1762 01:20:34,230 --> 01:20:35,965 in a small farm town, right? 1763 01:20:35,999 --> 01:20:37,833 So just to keep us safe, 1764 01:20:37,867 --> 01:20:40,536 it was easier just to keep us in the restaurant. 1765 01:20:40,569 --> 01:20:43,739 My parents have that old-school mentality 1766 01:20:43,772 --> 01:20:45,708 where it's like, the family helps the family, 1767 01:20:45,741 --> 01:20:48,477 and it doesn't matter what is going on. 1768 01:20:48,511 --> 01:20:51,047 But when you're a teenager and whatever, like, 1769 01:20:51,080 --> 01:20:53,917 work is the last thing you want to do. 1770 01:20:53,950 --> 01:20:56,019 When people ask me, "What was your first job?" 1771 01:20:56,052 --> 01:20:58,687 -I tell them it was slavery. -(LAUGHS) 1772 01:20:58,721 --> 01:21:00,423 Because it felt like, you know, 1773 01:21:00,456 --> 01:21:03,259 they were just always cracking the whip on me, 1774 01:21:03,292 --> 01:21:06,262 trying to get me to work more, work harder, 1775 01:21:06,295 --> 01:21:08,965 but they're trying to keep me out of trouble 1776 01:21:08,998 --> 01:21:12,235 and just make sure that I have a good work ethic. 1777 01:21:12,268 --> 01:21:14,503 -Are you the oldest son? -Mmm. 1778 01:21:14,537 --> 01:21:15,604 -You are? -Yeah. 1779 01:21:15,638 --> 01:21:16,940 Do you think that played a part in it? 1780 01:21:16,973 --> 01:21:19,675 Because my older brother and me, 1781 01:21:19,708 --> 01:21:21,277 we had very different experiences 1782 01:21:21,310 --> 01:21:22,611 -with the Burger Baron. -Yeah. 1783 01:21:22,645 --> 01:21:24,413 Where like, yeah, I was working in it 1784 01:21:24,447 --> 01:21:26,082 at a young age, 1785 01:21:26,115 --> 01:21:28,484 but I think it was more about just teaching me 1786 01:21:28,517 --> 01:21:29,986 about the value of work. 1787 01:21:30,019 --> 01:21:32,021 But with my brother, he was clearly being groomed. 1788 01:21:32,055 --> 01:21:33,422 My dad would always say, 1789 01:21:33,456 --> 01:21:35,158 "When I'm not around, you're the man of the house, 1790 01:21:35,191 --> 01:21:37,160 "you have to take care of things 1791 01:21:37,193 --> 01:21:39,095 "and make sure everybody and everything's okay. 1792 01:21:39,128 --> 01:21:40,496 "This is your job." 1793 01:21:40,529 --> 01:21:42,031 (PAPER RUSTLING) 1794 01:21:43,732 --> 01:21:48,537 OMAR: So, my brother took over the restaurant in 2008. 1795 01:21:48,571 --> 01:21:50,773 He wanted to take the opportunity 1796 01:21:50,806 --> 01:21:52,375 to do his own thing with it, 1797 01:21:52,408 --> 01:21:55,144 change the name, and it surprised me. 1798 01:21:55,178 --> 01:21:59,048 There was not a moment in my life 1799 01:21:59,082 --> 01:22:01,985 where I thought about running the restaurant, 1800 01:22:01,985 --> 01:22:03,052 not even... 1801 01:22:03,086 --> 01:22:05,554 Not even a hypothetical. 1802 01:22:05,588 --> 01:22:08,891 I appreciate the fact that it did so much 1803 01:22:08,992 --> 01:22:11,627 for my family and me, personally. 1804 01:22:11,660 --> 01:22:14,563 I went to college without any student loans. 1805 01:22:14,597 --> 01:22:16,565 I came out debt-free. 1806 01:22:16,599 --> 01:22:18,234 Why? Because of Burger Baron. 1807 01:22:18,267 --> 01:22:20,703 There were some cool perks to it as well. 1808 01:22:20,736 --> 01:22:22,771 Nothing will win over friends more 1809 01:22:22,805 --> 01:22:26,209 than being able to order a pizza to their house 1810 01:22:26,242 --> 01:22:27,310 when you've got the munchies, 1811 01:22:27,343 --> 01:22:29,878 and have it there in half an hour, free. 1812 01:22:29,912 --> 01:22:31,647 Just saying. 1813 01:22:31,680 --> 01:22:33,816 At the same time, the Burger Baron 1814 01:22:33,849 --> 01:22:36,152 can be like a prison sometimes. 1815 01:22:36,185 --> 01:22:37,920 And I don't judge my parents for it 1816 01:22:38,021 --> 01:22:40,589 because I know that they had the right priorities. 1817 01:22:40,623 --> 01:22:42,125 But now that I have kids, 1818 01:22:42,158 --> 01:22:43,826 I can't imagine 1819 01:22:43,859 --> 01:22:46,262 how that would weigh on my conscience, 1820 01:22:46,295 --> 01:22:49,632 to miss out on the things that they're passionate about. 1821 01:22:50,433 --> 01:22:51,767 I don't think we actually 1822 01:22:51,800 --> 01:22:53,936 have ever really sat down and talked 1823 01:22:54,037 --> 01:22:56,039 about what we wanted to do with our lives. 1824 01:22:57,440 --> 01:22:59,042 We're coming up to it. 1825 01:22:59,042 --> 01:23:01,310 Here it is. I haven't seen that sign in a while. 1826 01:23:11,054 --> 01:23:13,489 Was it hard for you 1827 01:23:13,522 --> 01:23:15,324 to dishonor your family's legacy 1828 01:23:15,358 --> 01:23:18,427 -by calling it "Boondocks"? -The Boondocks Grill? 1829 01:23:18,461 --> 01:23:21,064 No. I didn't really want a whole lot to do 1830 01:23:21,064 --> 01:23:22,098 with that name. 1831 01:23:22,131 --> 01:23:23,766 Nothing against the Burger Barons. 1832 01:23:23,799 --> 01:23:25,568 I love Burger Baron food. 1833 01:23:25,601 --> 01:23:27,436 I love walking into a Burger Baron, 1834 01:23:27,470 --> 01:23:28,937 but it needed to be my own. 1835 01:23:28,971 --> 01:23:31,274 There's that nostalgic feeling when you're driving 1836 01:23:31,307 --> 01:23:33,542 through a small town, a Prairie town, 1837 01:23:33,576 --> 01:23:34,610 and you see a Burger Baron. 1838 01:23:34,643 --> 01:23:35,944 You can walk in there, 1839 01:23:35,978 --> 01:23:38,114 and it's like walking through a time machine. 1840 01:23:38,147 --> 01:23:41,117 I just didn't want that. 1841 01:23:41,150 --> 01:23:44,087 I wanted the town to have something 1842 01:23:44,120 --> 01:23:46,355 that was a little more modern. 1843 01:23:46,389 --> 01:23:48,091 We wanted to have a place 1844 01:23:48,091 --> 01:23:52,595 where people can meet for work, they can come on a date, 1845 01:23:52,628 --> 01:23:55,098 maybe something closer to the city than a small town. 1846 01:23:55,098 --> 01:23:56,599 When did you realize 1847 01:23:56,632 --> 01:23:59,102 that you were being groomed 1848 01:23:59,102 --> 01:24:01,104 to take over the family restaurant? 1849 01:24:01,137 --> 01:24:02,238 I had no desire to work anywhere else 1850 01:24:02,271 --> 01:24:03,706 when I was younger. 1851 01:24:03,739 --> 01:24:05,608 I didn't want to work for someone that I didn't know, 1852 01:24:05,641 --> 01:24:07,343 I'd rather work for my dad. 1853 01:24:07,376 --> 01:24:09,345 I just assumed it was because you were the eldest son. 1854 01:24:09,378 --> 01:24:11,314 That probably had something to do with it, too. 1855 01:24:11,347 --> 01:24:13,149 When it comes to the oldest son, 1856 01:24:13,182 --> 01:24:14,983 I don't know if they expect more. 1857 01:24:15,017 --> 01:24:16,352 They definitely expect more. 1858 01:24:16,385 --> 01:24:18,654 -Okay, they expected more. -(LAUGHS) 1859 01:24:18,687 --> 01:24:21,324 I don't know if I wanted any other choices. 1860 01:24:21,357 --> 01:24:22,891 But at some time, 1861 01:24:22,925 --> 01:24:24,893 you just accept that if I want to provide 1862 01:24:24,927 --> 01:24:26,862 for the family like Mom and Dad did, 1863 01:24:26,895 --> 01:24:28,897 then this was really my one shot. 1864 01:24:29,832 --> 01:24:31,234 So when Dad tells me 1865 01:24:32,168 --> 01:24:34,270 in 2008 that the current owners 1866 01:24:35,138 --> 01:24:37,240 don't want to renew their lease, 1867 01:24:37,273 --> 01:24:41,344 and there's a possibility of him selling, 1868 01:24:41,377 --> 01:24:42,578 that scares me, 1869 01:24:43,512 --> 01:24:46,515 knowing that my last chance 1870 01:24:46,549 --> 01:24:48,317 of having this as my own 1871 01:24:48,351 --> 01:24:49,518 could possibly be gone. 1872 01:24:49,552 --> 01:24:51,654 Did it bother you that I had 1873 01:24:51,687 --> 01:24:53,989 a lot more freedom of choice, maybe, 1874 01:24:54,022 --> 01:24:56,659 with what I was going to do with my life? 1875 01:24:56,692 --> 01:24:58,227 -A little bit, I guess. -Yeah. 1876 01:24:58,261 --> 01:25:00,163 A little bit. And I didn't understand 1877 01:25:00,163 --> 01:25:02,265 why you had these options, 1878 01:25:02,298 --> 01:25:04,767 but with me, maybe I was already, 1879 01:25:04,800 --> 01:25:05,968 like you said, groomed for it. 1880 01:25:06,001 --> 01:25:08,271 "He's already learned these skills, 1881 01:25:08,304 --> 01:25:10,439 "might as well take advantage of it." 1882 01:25:11,540 --> 01:25:12,808 OMAR: A funny thing happened 1883 01:25:12,841 --> 01:25:15,511 after my family's restaurant was renamed. 1884 01:25:15,544 --> 01:25:17,846 Another immigrant moved to High Prairie, 1885 01:25:17,880 --> 01:25:19,648 bought up a rundown restaurant, 1886 01:25:19,682 --> 01:25:22,751 renovated it and renamed it what else? 1887 01:25:22,785 --> 01:25:24,187 Burger Baron. 1888 01:25:24,187 --> 01:25:25,654 ALI: I know they're doing well, and good for them. 1889 01:25:25,688 --> 01:25:27,523 I love to hear that story of someone coming 1890 01:25:27,556 --> 01:25:29,992 from back home, bringing their family here, 1891 01:25:30,025 --> 01:25:32,027 raising them in the small community 1892 01:25:32,060 --> 01:25:33,696 where there isn't much of an Arab community, 1893 01:25:33,729 --> 01:25:35,998 and doing their own thing and being successful. 1894 01:25:36,031 --> 01:25:37,466 How could you not love that story? 1895 01:25:37,500 --> 01:25:40,203 OMAR: It was one of the last Burger Barons to open 1896 01:25:40,203 --> 01:25:42,104 made possible only because the man 1897 01:25:42,205 --> 01:25:44,607 who started it, and has since sold it, 1898 01:25:44,640 --> 01:25:46,375 was a relative of the Kemaldeans. 1899 01:25:46,409 --> 01:25:47,543 Let's try this milkshake. 1900 01:25:49,412 --> 01:25:51,280 That's a perfect milkshake. Thank you. 1901 01:25:51,314 --> 01:25:52,381 You're welcome. 1902 01:25:53,649 --> 01:25:55,218 OMAR: The family's exclusive rights 1903 01:25:55,218 --> 01:25:58,354 have only prevented new Burger Barons from opening. 1904 01:25:58,387 --> 01:26:00,022 More importantly, it's done nothing 1905 01:26:00,055 --> 01:26:02,024 to stop them from closing. 1906 01:26:02,057 --> 01:26:04,227 More than a third of existing Burger Barons 1907 01:26:04,227 --> 01:26:05,828 have closed in the last decade. 1908 01:26:07,296 --> 01:26:10,433 Including Rudy's last spot in Edmonton. 1909 01:26:10,466 --> 01:26:12,435 Including Sal and his daughter Tamara's 1910 01:26:12,468 --> 01:26:14,337 three locations in southern Alberta. 1911 01:26:15,070 --> 01:26:16,305 Including the last two 1912 01:26:16,339 --> 01:26:18,241 owned by the McDonnell family in Regina. 1913 01:26:19,675 --> 01:26:20,943 As big box restaurants, 1914 01:26:20,976 --> 01:26:23,145 upscale casual dining and foodie culture 1915 01:26:23,246 --> 01:26:25,248 encroached on the humble hamburger, 1916 01:26:25,248 --> 01:26:27,783 it made a last ditch effort to keep up with the trends. 1917 01:26:28,451 --> 01:26:29,485 Yep, definitely. 1918 01:26:29,518 --> 01:26:30,953 I'm a little bit nervous about it. 1919 01:26:30,986 --> 01:26:33,155 I do believe my father would be 100% on board with it. 1920 01:26:33,256 --> 01:26:35,458 OMAR: But the pivot to healthy choices was not enough 1921 01:26:35,491 --> 01:26:36,859 to keep the doors open. 1922 01:26:39,662 --> 01:26:42,665 Starting a restaurant in the '70s, '80s, '90s 1923 01:26:42,698 --> 01:26:44,400 just seemed to be so much simpler. 1924 01:26:44,433 --> 01:26:45,734 Definitely easier. 1925 01:26:45,768 --> 01:26:47,736 It was much easier. 1926 01:26:47,770 --> 01:26:51,340 I was thinking I'll give them empire of restaurants, 1927 01:26:52,275 --> 01:26:54,410 so they'll do very well. 1928 01:26:54,443 --> 01:26:55,978 And my grandsons, 1929 01:26:56,011 --> 01:26:58,514 I hope that do the same thing I did. 1930 01:26:58,547 --> 01:27:00,916 Even if 50% what I did. 1931 01:27:00,949 --> 01:27:02,518 Now it's completely different. 1932 01:27:02,551 --> 01:27:04,487 It's harder, that's for sure. 1933 01:27:04,520 --> 01:27:06,088 Everything's so over-saturated. 1934 01:27:06,121 --> 01:27:07,356 There's so many franchises now, 1935 01:27:07,390 --> 01:27:09,024 you can't even keep count of them anymore. 1936 01:27:09,057 --> 01:27:12,295 And not to mention costs going up. 1937 01:27:12,295 --> 01:27:14,162 It's just getting harder and harder. 1938 01:27:14,196 --> 01:27:16,899 OMAR: It's not just oversaturation, 1939 01:27:16,932 --> 01:27:19,868 but the hyper-industrialization of the food industry. 1940 01:27:21,704 --> 01:27:24,072 Even if the Barons could get their shit together, 1941 01:27:24,106 --> 01:27:26,509 they could never compete with all the new chains 1942 01:27:26,542 --> 01:27:28,311 able to scale up and spread globally 1943 01:27:28,311 --> 01:27:29,745 at record speed. 1944 01:27:32,114 --> 01:27:33,416 My kids were born, 1945 01:27:33,449 --> 01:27:36,585 and I was supposed to take a year off, 1946 01:27:36,619 --> 01:27:39,488 but I didn't have the heart to leave the kids. 1947 01:27:41,089 --> 01:27:42,124 Come on. Come on. 1948 01:27:43,326 --> 01:27:44,460 Okay. 1949 01:27:44,493 --> 01:27:45,794 You can always make more money, 1950 01:27:45,828 --> 01:27:46,962 you can't make more time. 1951 01:27:46,995 --> 01:27:48,130 And time always mattered to me 1952 01:27:48,163 --> 01:27:49,365 more than money. 1953 01:27:49,398 --> 01:27:51,033 I never did go back to the restaurant. 1954 01:27:51,066 --> 01:27:55,103 RUDY: They got sick and tired of selling hamburgers 1955 01:27:55,137 --> 01:27:57,640 and they wanted to spend time with their families. 1956 01:27:57,673 --> 01:28:00,343 So I was... I'm not gonna argue with them 1957 01:28:00,343 --> 01:28:01,877 if they want to work something else. 1958 01:28:01,910 --> 01:28:04,046 For a few years now, I've owned a finance company. 1959 01:28:04,079 --> 01:28:07,350 My brother and sister ended up selling 1960 01:28:07,383 --> 01:28:10,353 and going into the corporate world, as well, now. 1961 01:28:10,353 --> 01:28:12,888 There's good and bad to that, you know? 1962 01:28:12,921 --> 01:28:15,858 It's good that, okay, well, we can expand 1963 01:28:15,891 --> 01:28:18,361 to something different and maybe better. 1964 01:28:18,361 --> 01:28:20,796 It's sad because it's kind of like an end of an era. 1965 01:28:20,829 --> 01:28:21,897 RUDY: It's sad. 1966 01:28:21,930 --> 01:28:25,200 Everything's gonna have an end to it. 1967 01:28:25,233 --> 01:28:27,570 This Burger Baron was like a constant in your life? 1968 01:28:28,371 --> 01:28:29,505 Yeah, absolutely. 1969 01:28:29,538 --> 01:28:32,074 -Really? -Yeah. It was like... 1970 01:28:32,107 --> 01:28:34,142 Pretty often. I don't know, at least once a month. 1971 01:28:34,176 --> 01:28:36,211 -I was legitimately sad. -Really? 1972 01:28:36,244 --> 01:28:38,647 Yeah. It was like a piece of my childhood gone. 1973 01:28:38,681 --> 01:28:41,684 Did you feel like, "If only I went there more often..." 1974 01:28:41,717 --> 01:28:42,918 -If only I, you know..." -No. 1975 01:28:42,951 --> 01:28:45,521 I didn't feel like I went there too little. 1976 01:28:45,554 --> 01:28:46,589 I think I went there 1977 01:28:46,622 --> 01:28:47,690 the maximum amount I should have. 1978 01:28:47,723 --> 01:28:49,191 (LAUGHING) 1979 01:28:53,295 --> 01:28:55,531 DONOVAN: My niece texts me and she says, 1980 01:28:55,564 --> 01:28:56,832 "Hey, you know they're shutting down 1981 01:28:56,865 --> 01:28:59,234 "the Burger Baron on the end of Whyte Avenue?" 1982 01:28:59,267 --> 01:29:02,004 And I was like, "No. Oh, no." 1983 01:29:02,037 --> 01:29:03,772 "We're gonna stop in and we're gonna have a burger." 1984 01:29:03,806 --> 01:29:06,409 I'm talking to the owner. He's in tears. 1985 01:29:06,409 --> 01:29:08,777 I see people coming in and out, and they're crying. 1986 01:29:08,811 --> 01:29:10,012 And I'm like, "What the hell? 1987 01:29:10,045 --> 01:29:11,614 "This is a burger joint, and everybody's crying?" 1988 01:29:11,647 --> 01:29:14,683 There's something going on here that I'm not getting. 1989 01:29:14,717 --> 01:29:16,018 "Why is everybody so upset?" 1990 01:29:16,051 --> 01:29:18,787 And they're like, "Well, that you care enough." 1991 01:29:18,821 --> 01:29:19,955 And I'm choking up. 1992 01:29:19,988 --> 01:29:21,624 As my kids and I are leaving, 1993 01:29:21,657 --> 01:29:24,092 I look and I see the sign in my rear-view mirror 1994 01:29:24,126 --> 01:29:25,494 as we're pulling out, 1995 01:29:25,528 --> 01:29:28,431 and I stop and I'm like, "I need to be a part of this. 1996 01:29:28,464 --> 01:29:29,798 "This is too good." 1997 01:29:31,434 --> 01:29:32,935 So, first thing, I get it home, 1998 01:29:32,968 --> 01:29:34,437 I pressure-wash it in my backyard. 1999 01:29:34,437 --> 01:29:37,440 All I can smell is hamburgers. 2000 01:29:37,473 --> 01:29:40,175 The grease is just lifting off with the hot water. 2001 01:29:40,208 --> 01:29:42,445 And I'm like, "I've made the right decision." 2002 01:29:42,478 --> 01:29:43,779 Can you tell us how much you paid for it? 2003 01:29:43,812 --> 01:29:45,948 Twenty Mushroom Burgers' worth. 2004 01:29:45,981 --> 01:29:48,517 Honestly, I think Burger Baron is closing 2005 01:29:48,551 --> 01:29:50,018 because it's not fashionable. 2006 01:29:50,052 --> 01:29:52,020 People see the Burger Baron, 2007 01:29:52,054 --> 01:29:54,457 but they don't see the Burger Baron. 2008 01:29:54,490 --> 01:29:56,224 They forget to appreciate 2009 01:29:56,258 --> 01:29:57,626 what it really is. 2010 01:29:57,660 --> 01:29:59,027 And it's that burger. 2011 01:29:59,061 --> 01:30:00,362 It's that logo. 2012 01:30:00,463 --> 01:30:02,197 It's that smell. 2013 01:30:02,230 --> 01:30:03,999 And even more, it's that family 2014 01:30:04,032 --> 01:30:07,503 that came from the other side of the world. 2015 01:30:10,439 --> 01:30:12,007 OMAR: Changing consumer values 2016 01:30:12,040 --> 01:30:14,843 no doubt has a lot to do with the closures, 2017 01:30:14,877 --> 01:30:17,480 but there's a bigger problem they're facing. 2018 01:30:17,513 --> 01:30:21,550 The next of kin, the Baronets and Baronetesses. 2019 01:30:21,584 --> 01:30:24,553 JUDY: I wouldn't be buying stock in Burger Baron. 2020 01:30:24,587 --> 01:30:25,721 How many kids 2021 01:30:27,089 --> 01:30:29,224 want to work in Burger Baron, 2022 01:30:29,257 --> 01:30:31,159 take it over, run it 2023 01:30:31,193 --> 01:30:33,028 and face all the competition 2024 01:30:33,061 --> 01:30:34,597 that they have in the drive-throughs 2025 01:30:34,630 --> 01:30:36,064 and the this and the that? 2026 01:30:36,098 --> 01:30:39,935 How many of those sons of Burger Baron families 2027 01:30:39,968 --> 01:30:41,870 want to run a Burger Baron? 2028 01:30:41,904 --> 01:30:43,906 How many of them can even talk their own kids 2029 01:30:43,939 --> 01:30:45,541 into working there during the summer? 2030 01:30:45,574 --> 01:30:48,243 I played a lot of soccer growing up, 2031 01:30:48,276 --> 01:30:50,245 and I honestly don't remember one game 2032 01:30:50,278 --> 01:30:53,115 my parents ever watched me play, right? 2033 01:30:53,148 --> 01:30:55,450 Because they're always in the restaurant, they can't. 2034 01:30:55,484 --> 01:30:56,885 They're not gonna leave the restaurant 2035 01:30:56,919 --> 01:30:59,221 at 5:00 or 6:00 during rush hour 2036 01:30:59,254 --> 01:31:01,757 to go watch a hour soccer game. 2037 01:31:01,790 --> 01:31:04,627 Even though the soccer field is just down the road, still. 2038 01:31:04,660 --> 01:31:07,195 You're just trapped. You're here all the time. 2039 01:31:08,130 --> 01:31:09,364 You can't get away. 2040 01:31:09,397 --> 01:31:10,866 -It's a sacrifice you're making. -Yeah. 2041 01:31:10,899 --> 01:31:13,869 Like your family, your life, everything, right? 2042 01:31:13,902 --> 01:31:15,538 For the restaurant. 2043 01:31:15,538 --> 01:31:17,706 It's drilled in your head 2044 01:31:17,740 --> 01:31:20,008 that you need to feel guilty 2045 01:31:20,042 --> 01:31:21,677 if you try to do anything else. 2046 01:31:21,710 --> 01:31:24,312 But with this new generation, 2047 01:31:24,346 --> 01:31:25,548 they don't have that. 2048 01:31:25,548 --> 01:31:27,049 There's hope for them. 2049 01:31:27,082 --> 01:31:28,316 JUDY: They have their own dreams, 2050 01:31:28,350 --> 01:31:30,719 and they're not the dreams of their parents. 2051 01:31:30,753 --> 01:31:32,655 And you only have to be a parent and a grandparent 2052 01:31:32,688 --> 01:31:34,289 for about five minutes 2053 01:31:34,322 --> 01:31:35,891 to learn the truth of that. 2054 01:31:35,924 --> 01:31:38,226 My dream is not your dream. 2055 01:31:38,260 --> 01:31:42,130 I was in my second year of political science, 2056 01:31:42,164 --> 01:31:44,299 and then he had his heart attack. 2057 01:31:44,332 --> 01:31:46,569 And, you know, especially with us, 2058 01:31:46,569 --> 01:31:49,905 it's like, I'm the only boy in the family 2059 01:31:49,938 --> 01:31:52,340 and that's kind of a huge responsibility 2060 01:31:52,374 --> 01:31:54,242 in Lebanese culture, especially. 2061 01:31:56,178 --> 01:31:58,013 So, I don't know, I kind of seen it 2062 01:31:58,046 --> 01:32:03,051 as a duty of mine to just step in. 2063 01:32:03,085 --> 01:32:04,720 My dad just had a heart attack. 2064 01:32:04,753 --> 01:32:08,090 So with that happening, 2065 01:32:08,824 --> 01:32:10,926 I know my dad 2066 01:32:10,959 --> 01:32:12,995 would sell the restaurant yesterday if he could. 2067 01:32:13,996 --> 01:32:15,463 But the problem is my mom 2068 01:32:15,497 --> 01:32:18,100 still wants to go hard, go at it. 2069 01:32:18,133 --> 01:32:19,968 She would sell it if the right offer came, 2070 01:32:20,002 --> 01:32:21,970 but she doesn't want to give it away. 2071 01:32:22,004 --> 01:32:25,173 Alexa, four minute and 30 seconds time. 2072 01:32:25,207 --> 01:32:27,810 People who run those things are not about give them up. 2073 01:32:28,677 --> 01:32:29,878 But they will have to 2074 01:32:30,946 --> 01:32:31,947 either give them up 2075 01:32:33,048 --> 01:32:35,651 or find somebody else to take them over. 2076 01:32:35,684 --> 01:32:36,719 And there's the problem. 2077 01:33:09,451 --> 01:33:12,054 I remember Mom waking me up and she's like, 2078 01:33:12,087 --> 01:33:14,657 "You need to go to work, your dad doesn't feel well. 2079 01:33:15,457 --> 01:33:16,659 "Something is wrong. 2080 01:33:16,659 --> 01:33:17,826 We're taking him to the hospital." 2081 01:33:18,961 --> 01:33:20,863 So I came in, I see my dad, 2082 01:33:20,896 --> 01:33:21,964 he didn't look great. 2083 01:33:21,997 --> 01:33:23,298 It wasn't long after 2084 01:33:23,331 --> 01:33:25,100 where Mom called us and said, 2085 01:33:25,133 --> 01:33:27,135 "Hey, it's pretty serious. 2086 01:33:27,169 --> 01:33:28,303 "He'd had a heart attack. 2087 01:33:28,336 --> 01:33:31,940 "They're flying him out to Edmonton." 2088 01:33:31,974 --> 01:33:35,077 And I remember going to the hospital, 2089 01:33:35,110 --> 01:33:36,779 and he was on the gurney there, 2090 01:33:36,812 --> 01:33:38,947 (VOICE SHAKING) and just looking in his eyes, 2091 01:33:38,981 --> 01:33:43,085 and thinking this might be the last time I see him. 2092 01:33:43,118 --> 01:33:44,953 And it happened at the restaurant. 2093 01:33:46,088 --> 01:33:49,491 So, it wasn't easy to see. 2094 01:33:49,524 --> 01:33:50,759 (VOICE BREAKING) You know, it... 2095 01:33:52,928 --> 01:33:54,596 Talked to him after they did the procedure 2096 01:33:54,697 --> 01:33:55,831 and they put some stents in him. 2097 01:33:55,864 --> 01:33:57,332 He said he felt like a new man. 2098 01:33:57,365 --> 01:33:59,501 He'd come and he'd still want to work just as hard. 2099 01:33:59,534 --> 01:34:00,936 He'd come in at 6:00, 7:00 in the morning 2100 01:34:00,969 --> 01:34:02,270 to start organizing or cleaning 2101 01:34:02,304 --> 01:34:03,739 or doing whatever he wanted to do. 2102 01:34:03,772 --> 01:34:05,808 OMAR: Yeah. Are you trying to do things differently 2103 01:34:05,841 --> 01:34:07,710 from the way our parents did? 2104 01:34:07,743 --> 01:34:10,145 How are you protecting yourself against that? 2105 01:34:10,178 --> 01:34:11,980 ALI: I don't know if I'm protecting myself. 2106 01:34:12,014 --> 01:34:13,882 Five years ago, we started closing on Sundays 2107 01:34:13,916 --> 01:34:16,852 to have some sort of normalcy with the family. 2108 01:34:16,885 --> 01:34:18,721 So they don't kind of grow up 2109 01:34:18,721 --> 01:34:20,856 just knowing the restaurant life. 2110 01:34:20,889 --> 01:34:22,991 Would you want your kids to take over the restaurant? 2111 01:34:23,025 --> 01:34:24,993 You have big dreams for your kids, 2112 01:34:25,027 --> 01:34:27,429 but there's nothing wrong with the restaurant life. 2113 01:34:27,462 --> 01:34:30,265 I know it's hard. I know it's demanding. 2114 01:34:30,298 --> 01:34:32,500 I know you're here all the time. 2115 01:34:32,534 --> 01:34:34,903 And it becomes... 2116 01:34:34,937 --> 01:34:38,006 The restaurant becomes like a second wife 2117 01:34:38,040 --> 01:34:40,876 or a family kind of thing, a second family. 2118 01:34:40,909 --> 01:34:42,344 No, a second wife. 2119 01:34:42,377 --> 01:34:43,545 -(LAUGHING) -Obviously. 2120 01:34:43,578 --> 01:34:44,747 One of my four wives. 2121 01:34:46,314 --> 01:34:48,884 I know it's demanding, 2122 01:34:50,118 --> 01:34:51,553 but it's not so bad. 2123 01:34:52,254 --> 01:34:53,321 It really isn't. 2124 01:34:54,456 --> 01:34:56,358 I've been able to provide for the family 2125 01:34:56,391 --> 01:34:58,927 in a community that I love, that I grew up in. 2126 01:34:58,961 --> 01:34:59,962 It's what I know. 2127 01:35:01,396 --> 01:35:02,664 I guess it's what I love. 2128 01:35:19,982 --> 01:35:22,217 OMAR: Because of a popular little burger shack 2129 01:35:22,250 --> 01:35:23,685 that went rogue, 2130 01:35:23,786 --> 01:35:26,154 we were able to secure a future for ourselves 2131 01:35:26,188 --> 01:35:27,455 and our children, 2132 01:35:27,489 --> 01:35:29,157 reunite with our families 2133 01:35:29,191 --> 01:35:32,060 and get loved ones out of a war zone. 2134 01:35:32,094 --> 01:35:34,529 I wondered if Jack McDonnell ever had an idea 2135 01:35:34,562 --> 01:35:36,431 of what his true legacy really was. 2136 01:35:38,066 --> 01:35:40,302 TERRY: He wouldn't have realized that. 2137 01:35:40,335 --> 01:35:42,871 I'm learning a lot right now, today. 2138 01:35:42,905 --> 01:35:46,241 I didn't know there's near as many in the family 2139 01:35:46,274 --> 01:35:47,810 as you've suggested. 2140 01:35:47,843 --> 01:35:49,544 Like, I think that's great 2141 01:35:49,577 --> 01:35:52,714 that a group of people, or individually, 2142 01:35:52,815 --> 01:35:55,283 they do well because of the Burger Baron. 2143 01:36:17,139 --> 01:36:18,740 OMAR: There may not be as many Burger Barons 2144 01:36:18,841 --> 01:36:19,908 as there used to be, 2145 01:36:19,942 --> 01:36:21,609 but were it not for the immigrants, 2146 01:36:21,643 --> 01:36:23,578 refugees, and foreign workers, 2147 01:36:23,611 --> 01:36:25,347 there may not be any left at all. 2148 01:36:26,114 --> 01:36:28,450 (UPBEAT SONG PLAYING) 2149 01:36:33,889 --> 01:36:35,423 OMAR: Wait, wait, wait, wait. 2150 01:36:35,457 --> 01:36:36,591 Don't you want to know 2151 01:36:36,624 --> 01:36:38,293 how the Mushroom Burger sauce is made? 2152 01:36:38,326 --> 01:36:40,062 So, we've got Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup. 2153 01:36:42,130 --> 01:36:45,167 OMAR: Oh, man, I remember that can opener. 2154 01:36:45,200 --> 01:36:46,969 It's the same one from when we were kids. 2155 01:36:47,002 --> 01:36:48,436 We're gonna take our Tabasco sauce, 2156 01:36:48,470 --> 01:36:50,672 we're gonna add 10 splashes. 2157 01:36:50,705 --> 01:36:53,241 Worcestershire sauce, we're gonna add four to it. 2158 01:36:54,877 --> 01:36:56,478 Soy sauce, a little bit more. 2159 01:36:58,981 --> 01:37:01,283 And then we're just gonna mix it up. 2160 01:37:01,316 --> 01:37:03,351 OMAR: So, really, it's just these four ingredients? 2161 01:37:03,385 --> 01:37:05,153 ALI: This is it. There's not much to it. 2162 01:37:05,187 --> 01:37:07,890 OMAR: No cumin, no sumac, no Lebanese spices? 2163 01:37:07,923 --> 01:37:10,025 ALI: Not a single Lebanese spice. 2164 01:37:10,058 --> 01:37:12,127 -(OMAR LAUGHS) -It's not a pretty sauce, 2165 01:37:12,160 --> 01:37:14,296 but it tastes fantastic on that burger. 2166 01:37:14,329 --> 01:37:15,530 * Burger Baron 2167 01:37:17,132 --> 01:37:19,701 * We're the hot spot right here in town 2168 01:37:19,734 --> 01:37:22,737 * People know our value for miles around 2169 01:37:22,770 --> 01:37:25,540 * At Burger Baron you'll be amazed 2170 01:37:25,573 --> 01:37:28,210 * We'll take you back to the good old days 2171 01:37:28,243 --> 01:37:29,411 * Great big burgers 2172 01:37:29,444 --> 01:37:30,946 * And delicious fries 2173 01:37:30,979 --> 01:37:32,080 * We offer so much 2174 01:37:32,114 --> 01:37:34,049 * You won't believe your eyes 2175 01:37:34,082 --> 01:37:35,117 * You're gonna love 2176 01:37:35,150 --> 01:37:36,985 * What we do for you 2177 01:37:37,019 --> 01:37:38,653 * We're serving value 2178 01:37:38,686 --> 01:37:40,355 * At Burger Baron 2179 01:37:42,090 --> 01:37:45,460 (UPBEAT SONG RESUMES)