In Crosses, Arkansas: An Award-Winning Burger, With A Side of Iranian Politics

It’s 5,216 miles from Vienna, Austria to Crosses, Arkansas. But, as negotiations continue in the Iran nuclear talks, it’s a hot topic for patrons of the Pigtrail Bypass Country Cafe. Iranian American Hooshang Nazarali owns the cafe and convenience store, and for more than 30 years he’s been serving the people of this small community with burgers and snacks, all the while working with the Council of Resistance of Iran - a group dedicated to the overthrow of the Islamic Republic. Nazarali is outspoken in his opposition to a nuclear deal with Iran. And, while his signature dish “The Hooshburger” is garnering national attention for its fusion of Persian and American cuisines, he says he hopes a similar blend of interests can lead to a new regime and a new relationship with his motherland.