How Max’s Group drives growth through mindful innovation

For any company, an 80-year legacy is impressive. But for Max’s Restaurant and Max’s Group, Inc. (MGI), the past eight decades are only the foundation of an ongoing success story. Here’s a closer look at how MGI sets the standard for enduring relevance.

Growing through challenges 

Apart from Max’s, MGI is known for heritage brands like Pancake House, Yellow Cab Pizza, Krispy Kreme, and Jamba Juice, and has proven that even in a landscape as turbulent as casual dining, innovation, resilience, and a deep understanding of its customers lead to growth. 

The COVID-19 pandemic shattered the casual dining industry. For MGI, it meant making tough decisions. Several stores were relocated to more strategic locations. This process of “pruning” – as Jim Fuentebella, MGI chief marketing officer, describes it – wasn’t merely about cutting losses but reinvesting energy where it mattered most. 

“It’s like tending to a tree,” says Fuentebella. “Pruning unhealthy branches allows the tree to grow stronger and healthier. This philosophy shaped our approach post-pandemic.” 

Mindful innovation across the brands 

One misconception about innovation is that it needs to be radical. For MGI, innovation is rooted in deliberate, incremental improvements driven by customer and employee insights. 

Max’s expansion plans are a prime example of this. Instead of simply identifying areas where a store could thrive based on demand, the process involves digging deeper to understand the purpose behind each new branch, ensuring that each new store truly adds value to its community. This method strengthens community ties and supports sustainable business growth, creating spaces where customers feel valued and employees can thrive.

“Our expansions over the last two years have been focused on quality,” says MGI CEO Robert Trota. “We’ve been very precise in how we wanted to open and locate our stores. By design, this will make our profits better per store so that more resources can be reinvested into the brand in the future.”

At MGI, innovation doesn’t start from the boardroom but on the ground. In recent years, MGI has changed how it operates, trading in a sprawling 5,000-square-meter headquarters for a smaller, more efficient office and encouraging employees to meet in stores instead.

“We’re restaurateurs at heart,” Trota adds. “I can sit down in the restaurant and take a look, and if I see your plate is empty, then we’re doing something good. If you have a lot of leftovers, we have to ask, ‘What’s going on?’ Listening to our customers’ needs and wants is very important.”

Revitalizing Max’s Restaurant

It’s from this commitment to the customer and respect for their brands’ heritage that MGI has continued to revitalize its brands and dining experiences. In the case of Max’s Restaurant, the Scout Tuason branch has become a hub for experimentation, acting as a laboratory for ideas, such as a coffee bar in collaboration with Yardstick and new menu items, including reimagined favorites like the Crispy Lechon Belly, Crispy Bangus Sisig, Deboned Crispy Pata, and Beef Bulalo; refreshing beverages like the new Tamarind Shake and Strawberry Shake, along with new product innovations for Max’s Corner Bakery.

Knowing when to innovate and when to preserve is a delicate balancing act,  but MGI has done it well. “You look at an icon, and sometimes you say, that’s good, I need to leave this alone,” Fuentebella says. “Other times, a brand might just need a little nudge, and that’s where we kind of push it. We won’t innovate just because we’re bored, just for innovation’s sake. We’re doing it mindfully.”

The revitalization doesn’t stop at what’s served, but extends to where it’s served. Max’s Restaurant is also updating its store designs to resonate with the communities they are serving. At Scout Tuason, this means mirroring the greenery outside, bringing the outside in while maintaining that homey atmosphere that Max’s is known for. At its mall locations, this could mean a more contemporary look that speaks to today’s customers. These thoughtful upgrades elevate the dining experience, complementing the service and food customers have loved for decades.

Innovation with a purpose across MGI

Across the group, this mindset has paved the way for renovations, store refreshes, and product launches that have breathed new life into legacy brands.

Pancake House celebrated its 50th anniversary by reintroducing beloved classics Adobo Sulipan, Hot Roast Chicken, and Arroz a la Cubana, reconnecting customers with meals that defined its history, while revamped branches like Bonifacio High Street showed tangible sales growth. Over at Yellow Cab Pizza, innovation led to successes like the Half Moon Pizza, which contributed 5% to total sales and 34% to the category’s sales. 

Krispy Kreme kept things exciting with new offerings like the sweet-and-savory Dough-Snacks, collaborations such as Inside Out 2 and Hello Kitty, and the viral Churro Doughnuts. Jamba Juice, on the other hand, boosted its visibility by launching collaborations with Kiehl’s and Sunnies Face, and has also innovated to ensure that every cup is flavorful, fresh, and functional. This focus on quality and value has Jamba Juice has made the Philippines the only market in the world where the brand has achieved increased sales. These successes prove that innovation doesn’t always have to be flashy – sometimes, it just needs to bring value where it matters most.

Building on an 80-year legacy 

80 years is no small milestone for any company, but for Max’s Restaurant, it’s a milestone that also serves as a rallying point for MGI. This landmark anniversary stands as a testament to the resilience and reinvention that define not only Max’s Restaurant, but all the iconic names within the MGI family: Pancake House is over 50 years old, Yellow Cab Pizza is approaching its 25th anniversary, Krispy Kreme is nearing its 90th year, and Jamba Juice is over 30.

But MGI isn’t simply holding on to its past successes — it’s building on them to remain a leader in Filipino dining. “Our brands have a legacy, and we will strive to do them justice,” says Trota. “We’re always making an effort to stay relevant to our consumers and for them to enjoy our food.”

“What we’re trying to leave to the next generation is the passion, the dedication, and the hard work that we ourselves learned and earned from my grandmother,” he adds. “It’s 80 years of success, and this wouldn’t have been here without the hard work and dedication of my grandmother, my great-granduncle, and all the people behind the founders.”

The commitment to quality that started with Max’s founders remains alive today, but MGI’s leadership understands that their legacy is only as strong as the vision they set for the future. 

Whether through fresh menu ideas, reimagined dining experiences, or exploring new spaces in food culture, MGI’s focus is clear: always adapt, always grow. With that, MGI is boldly stepping into the next chapter, doubling down on what they do best while dreaming bigger than ever before – building a future that generations to come will look back on with the same admiration they have shown for the last 80 years. – Rappler.com

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