A Birthday Worth Celebrating – Max’s 70th Year #HBDMaxs

“Who would want to come?”

Ms. Carlyn , one of third generation owners of Max’s Restaurant sad , she was hesitant to celebrate Max’s 70th Birthday in a grand way. She said who would want to celebrate with them with no Piolo Pascual or Coco Martin to come around?

But when it was 430PM and the hall was already full, so was her heart. “There was no Piolo or Coco around but people came, it is so heart warming to know that people love our brand,” Ms. Carlyn reiterated.

I told Ms. Carlyn that I love Max’s , my favorite is the fried chicken, the chicken and the banana ketchup is the winner combo. My mother loves their Crispy Pata, while my father used to love the Sinigang na Hipon.

“As soon as you (Ms. Carlyn) announced that the buffet was open, we were all excited to go. All of the Max’s dishes is a hit. It is very Filipino, real comfort food for Pinoy, no Filipino could ever say no to Max’s!” I said.

“The Paco Salad is soooo good, it’s new (part of the menu) right?” I asked.

“Yes,” Ms. Carlyn said. “You do know our menu!” she happily exclaimed.

That was the little chit-chat I had with her at the after party when we visited the hotel that Max’s Restaurant built, the Merati Hotel just accross the first Max’s along Castor St. In Kamuning Quezon City.

It was my first time to visit their first ever Max’s Restaurant branch . I was surprised at how big and beautiful the place was. Mr. Jim, one of the cousins who are third generation owners of Max’s said the place is the original house where the Max’s fried chicken and the restaurant was born. This branch has a total of four restaurants combined and a great venue for grand celebration.

Who would have known that this place , rich with history and wonderful memories, started at a humble beginning. Thanks to the World War II American soldiers who frequently visits Mr. Maximo Gimenez , the original owner of Max’s Carlyn and Jim’s grandfather, insisted on paying for the food and the drinks Mr. Gimenez served his American Troop friends who decided to stay longer in the Quezon City after the World War II . These soldiers prompted Maximo open the restaurant, and the house which fried chicken built!

From one to more than a hundred with half of them all franchise branches, Max’s Restaurant is such an inspiration to those who think they can’t make something out of nothing. The fact that Max’s is a Filipino brand through and through is something to be proud of worth celebrating especially now that it is 70 years old!

Happy Birthday Max’s! Cheers to more happy chats over a pile of bones from the sarap to the bones friend chicken filled with fun memories to cherish for a lifetime.

How about you what’s your Max’s memory?

Stay gorgeous everyone!