Big Smoke Burger

Mustafa Yusuf opened his first burger shop in Toronto in November 2007 under the name Craft Burger. When he could not trademark that name, he renamed it in 2011 after Toronto’s old nickname, the Big Smoke. The formula was simple: Canadian beef ground to its own spec, fresh-cut fries and poutine.

It tried the United States, opening near Denver and in New York, but burgers with poutine never caught on south of the border and both closed. It found steadier footing at home and in the United Arab Emirates, and in 2015 Canada’s MTY Food Group bought a majority stake. Smoked Canadian cheddar runs through almost the whole menu.

A small chain with restaurants in Canada and the United Arab Emirates. Part of MTY Food Group.