Meet The Cranston Native That Helped Make Rhode Island The Setting For ‘Good Burger 2′

The wait is finally over. Fans of the 1997 comedy Good Burger are getting a second dose of Ed and Dexter in Good Burger 2, debuting on November 22nd on Paramount Plus.

During its production, Good Burger 2 captivated Rhode Islanders. The iconic, fictional burger joint was constructed on Mineral Spring Avenue and locals followed news closely, just to get the latest scoop on Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell’s whereabouts.

The buzz around the production brought excitement to the Ocean State, but there was almost a scenario where Good Burger 2 was filmed elsewhere.

Thanks to the effort of one Rhode Island man and his team, Good Burger 2 found a home in Providence.

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Meet Ed Brady

Ed Brady is a man that wears many hats. He is a successful restaurant owner, a devoted philanthropist, and most recently, a production film crew member.

Brady grew up in Cranston a few houses down from a man named John Ryan. Ryan would go on to become a successful Hollywood producer and launch the Artists for Artists Production Company alongside Kenan Thompson.

Both successful in their own fields, Brady and Ryan remained close. When Ryan presented Brady with an idea about a Nickelodeon classic, Brady was all in on rallying to produce Good Burger 2 in Rhode Island.

“I made some trips to New York City with (Ryan), I met with Kenan Thompson, I went to SNL, and really advocated and lobbied for the film to be shot here,” said Brady. “We toured some sights (in Rhode Island) together and (Thompson) fell in love with the state.”

The production almost happened in New Orleans, but soon, the Executive Director of the Rhode Island Film and Television Office, Steven Feinberg, was helping the cause, and that’s when magic happened.

“We got Nickelodeon on a call with Kenan, and on the call, Kenan said, ‘We can shoot this anywhere, but if you want to make me happy, I’d love to shoot it in Rhode Island.’ Soon after, Nickelodeon and Paramount were on board,” said Brady.

Good Burger 2 Is Finally Here

While Ryan was the on-site producer, Brady was the given the opportunity to assist on set.

“My favorite moment was watching the talent, specifically Kenan and Kel, with kids and fans,” said Brady. “Everyone thinks being a celebrity is this glamorous lifetstyle, but these guys were doing 14-hour days, and to watch them wait around after and take pictures with fans, it was incredible.”

As an entrepreneur, Brady knows no bounds, and after being on the set of Good Burger 2, the spark he found in college for film making was reignited, which only means good things for the Ocean State.

“Life takes you in specific directions, but there is nothing like being on set,” he said.

Good Burger 2 debuts on Paramount Plus on November 22nd, and thanks to Brady and local producers, Good Burger will always have a home in Little Rhody.