Max's Restaurant

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Max's Restaurant cafe
Max's Restaurant logo.svg
Product typeRestaurant chain
OwnerMax's Group
CountryPhilippines
Introduced1945; 76 years ago (1945)
MarketsPhilippines, North America, United Arab Emirates
Websitewww.maxschicken.com

Max's Restaurant, sometimes known as Max's of Manila or simply Max's, is a Philippine-based multinational restaurant chain which serves fried chicken and other Filipino dishes. It is owned and operated by the Max's Group.[1]

History[]

Max's Restaurant's beginnings started in 1945, after World War II. Maximo Gimenez, a Stanford-educated teacher, befriended the American occupation troops stationed at Quezon City. Because of this friendship, the soldiers regularly visited Maximo's nearby home for a drink or two. Later on, the troops insisted that they pay for their drinks. This prompted Maximo to open a cafe, where the troops could enjoy food and drinks.[2] It opened its first restaurant at 21 South F Street (now Scout Tuason), Brgy. Laging Handa, Quezon City.

The cafe initially served chicken, steak and drinks. Maximo's niece, Ruby, who managed the kitchen, created a special recipe for chicken that became an instant favorite for the GIs. Soon, the Filipino public heard about the delicious chicken recipe and thus they came to the small restaurant and Max's Restaurant was born.

Over the years, Max's Restaurant's popularity grew and it became known as "the house that fried chicken built." It has expanded in Metro Manila, Southern and Northern Luzon, Cebu, and to California and other places in the United States. It has also expanded to Canada with plans of opening restaurants to other countries.

Max's Restaurant has established itself as a household name in the Philippines, an institution, and a proud Filipino tradition. The second and third generations of the family continue to zealously uphold the standards and traditions set by Maximo and Ruby for all Max's Restaurants.

It opened its doors to franchising in the second quarter of 1998.[3]

The company that manages Max's Restaurant, Max's Group, also currently operates Pancake House, Dencio's, Kabisera, Teriyaki Boy, Sizzlin' Steak, Le Coeur De France, Maple, Yellow Cab, Singkit, and The Chicken Rice Shop.[4]

Locations[]

Max's Restaurant currently has over 127 branches in the Philippines. The chain also has branches in the U.S. states of California, Hawaii, New Jersey and a Nevada branch soon to open. It has 5 locations in Canada in Toronto, Ontario, Vancouver, British Columbia, Edmonton, Alberta, Winnipeg, Manitoba, and Calgary, Alberta. In a September 2014 press event, it was announced that more branches will be opened by 2015 in: Sydney, Australia; Dubai, United Arab Emirates; and Queens, New York. In 2016 Max's was also opened in Salmiya, Kuwait.

  • Max's Restaurant at SM City Pampanga

  • Max's Restaurant at Festival Supermall

  • Max's Restaurant at SM City Baliuag

  • Max's Corner Bakery

Products[]

Half a Max fried chicken served with sweet potato fries.

The restaurant's signature dish is its fried chicken. Aside from this, Max's Chicken also offers traditional Filipino dishes such as, kare-kare, nilagang báka, sinigang, crispy pata, tapsilog, lóngsilog, and litsón kawalî.[5][6][7]

Marketing[]

In earlier television and cinema advertisements, the restaurant usually marketed itself as a place for Filipino families to get together. In 1993, it also established its slogan "Sarap to the bones!" ("Delicious to the bones!").

From April to June 2004, a popular series of television advertisements, entitled "Forever Yours" told the story of a Max's employee who was the childhood love of a popular TV celebrity, played by Piolo Pascual. The series showed the two characters as children, then as adults accidentally meeting at Max's. The denouement of the story is when the celebrity recognizes the employee from their childhood. This commercial became so popular that it launched the showbiz career of Isabel Oli, the model who played the employee.[8][9]

Aside from its advertising, the story of how Max's Restaurant started has entered into popular culture. It was portrayed in the episode "Sino si Max?" ("Who is Max?") of the long-running Filipino drama anthology Maalaala Mo Kaya.[10] So far, Max's had 4 celebrity endorsers: Gary Valenciano (1996–1999, now with Jollibee), Piolo Pascual (2002–2009, now with Turks and Dunkin' Donuts), Isabel Oli-Prats (2004–2009) and Coco Martin (2012–2014, now with Mang Inasal), and all of them are under contract of ABS-CBN.

See also[]

  • List of fast-food chicken restaurants
  • List of Philippine restaurant chains

References[]

  1. ^ Forgrieve, Janet (January 27, 2006). "Founder shines as shares hit $45.1 million". Rocky Mountain News. Archived from the original on July 5, 2007. Retrieved December 15, 2009.
  2. ^ "Top 10 Oldest Restaurants in Manila".
  3. ^ "Max's Restaurant – About Us". Max's Chicken Online. Retrieved 25 August 2014.
  4. ^ "Corporate Profile - Max's Group". investor.maxsgroupinc.com.
  5. ^ Kam, Nadine. (April 9, 2006)."To the Max". Honolulu Star-Bulletin.
  6. ^ Max's Restaurant – Menu.
  7. ^ Bernardino, Minnie. (September 27, 1990). "Breakfast – 8 Places Off the Beaten-Egg Track – Ethnic fare: Breakfast is many things to many peoples, as L.A.'s restaurants prove. A sampling from the variety available to a.m. adventurers. – Filipino". Los Angeles Times.
  8. ^ Profile – Isabel Oli. GMA Network. Retrieved September 23, 2010.
  9. ^ "Why Isabel Oli is blooming these days". Manila Bulletin. June 20, 2007. Retrieved 23 September 2010.
  10. ^ Lorenzo, Alfie. (November 17, 2005) (in Filipino). Pasalamatan natin si George Canseco... Archived 2012-03-25 at the Wayback Machine (Let's thank George Canseco...). Abante. Retrieved September 23, 2010 from telebisyon.net.

External links[]

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