Tags: Food Establishments
By Anna Valmero
QUEZON CITY, METRO MANILA—It was in 1945 when Maximo Gimenez opened the first Max’s Restaurant in Scout Tuason in Quezon City. Their homemade fried chicken was an instant hit to Filipinos and foreigners alike.
In case you are wondering, yes, Max’s served as a cafe during the Second World War and catered to American soldiers stationed in Manila.
A Stanford-educated teacher, Maximo was friends to American soldiers so the troops regularly visited his home for drinks. Later on, they insisted that Maximo open a cafe or restaurant so they can pay for their food and drinks. Back then, a whole chicken costs only P2.50.
Now on its 66th year, Max’s operates a chain of more than 120 stores nationwide, with eight franchises in the United States, Canada and Dubai.
The not-so-secret recipe to this success?
“The sarap-to-the-bones fried chicken. We would not be known as ‘the house that fried chicken built’ if not for our famous chicken, complemented by other Filipino dishes,” says Robert Trota, chief executive officer fo Max’s Group of Companies.
It was Maximo’s niece, Nana Ruby Trota, who came up with the recipe and passionately cooked the famous crispy fried chicken of the restaurant.
Until today, the marinade and recipe is a guarded secret (much like the 11 secret herbs and spices of Colonel Sander’s Kentucky Fried Chicken). Max’s also serves native Filipino dishes like the sinigang, pancit canton, crispy pata and kare-kare.
“It is about Filipino hospitality, generosity and passion for good food much the same way how our founder and first cook started the business,” says Robert.
To complement their main dishes with desserts and pastries, the Max’s Corner Bakery was established in almost every restaurant in the 1960s. The cakes and rolls with traditional and Filipino flavors like ube and yema are available for take-out. The chewy caramel bar that goes with your fiesta chicken meal comes from the in-house bakery, which features desserts also original recipes by Nana Ruby.
“Our concept is to make Max’s a world-class casual dining restaurant and we are looking into expanding abroad in countries with huge Filipino communities to have a catch market. Filipinos abroad are a great help in marketing the brand and refering it to their foreign friends,” says Robert.
Max’s has also diversified its food business. It introduced the Krispy Kreme brand locally and now operates 20 doughnut stores across Metro Manila.
This November, Max’s Group of Companies will also open its first Jamba Juice store at Bonifacio Global City. This chain specializes in fruit smoothies to health-conscious Filipinos, said Sharon Fuentebella, executive vice president of the Max’s Group of Companies.
Get more information about Max’s Group of Companies
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