Burger Week: A Popular Success That Raises Questions

Burger Week has now established itself as a gourmet ritual in Haiti. Each year, despite instability and insecurity, restaurants in the capital compete creatively to offer the "best burger" of the moment. And the public responds. Queues in front of some establishments and intense activity on social media confirm that the tradition is taking hold, even in a difficult context.

However, this success raises a question: why does an event centered around the burger — an imported product and symbol of globalized culture — manage to mobilize so much, while no major festival celebrates our identity dishes like Tonm Tonm, Lalo, or Diri Djon Djon?

The answer lies in several factors. The burger lends itself well to modern marketing: easy to customize, photogenic, it appeals to an urban, young, and connected clientele. It also attracts private sponsors and restaurateurs who find direct commercial benefit in it. Conversely, traditional dishes require a more local production chain, are less profitable in the short term, and rarely benefit from strong institutional or media support.

The success of Burger Week proves that despite the crisis, Haitian cultural and gastronomic life can still reinvent itself. But it also reveals a shortcoming: the absence of strategies to promote our local products. Imagining a "Tonm Tonm Festival" or a "Lalo Festival" would not only be a tribute to our culinary heritage but also an economic and tourist opportunity.

It is time that the same energy, creativity, and will that make Burger Week a success be put to the service of authentic Haitian gastronomy. Because our local flavors also deserve their week of glory.

The editorial team