Maxim's Catering
Encyclopedia
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
's largest food & beverage corporation and restaurant chain. Founded in 1956 by Dr James Tak Wu
James Tak Wu
Dr James Tak Wu, SBS isa Hong Kong-based conglomerateur. As Chairman of Maxim's Catering Limited, a subsidiary of Dairy Farm International Holdings Ltd., he helped co-founded and helped establish a chain of operates restaurants, night clubs, fast food outlets, cake and coffee shops, institutional...
and his brother S.T. Wu, along with other shareholders, the Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
-based company operates a diverse range of food outlets, including bakeries, fast food
Fast food
Fast food is the term given to food that can be prepared and served very quickly. While any meal with low preparation time can be considered to be fast food, typically the term refers to food sold in a restaurant or store with preheated or precooked ingredients, and served to the customer in a...
shops, and restaurants offering a variety of Chinese
Chinese cuisine
Chinese cuisine is any of several styles originating in the regions of China, some of which have become highly popular in other parts of the world – from Asia to the Americas, Australia, Western Europe and Southern Africa...
, Japanese
Japanese cuisine
Japanese cuisine has developed over the centuries as a result of many political and social changes throughout Japan. The cuisine eventually changed with the advent of the Medieval age which ushered in a shedding of elitism with the age of shogun rule...
, Southeast Asian and other cuisines. The company also provides catering services to specific industrial and commercial businesses as well as schools and hospitals throughout Hong Kong. In addition, Maxim's is a partner with Starbucks Coffee International, Inc.
Starbucks
Starbucks Corporation is an international coffee and coffeehouse chain based in Seattle, Washington. Starbucks is the largest coffeehouse company in the world, with 17,009 stores in 55 countries, including over 11,000 in the United States, over 1,000 in Canada, over 700 in the United Kingdom, and...
in operating Starbucks outlets in Hong Kong, Macau
Macau
Macau , also spelled Macao , is, along with Hong Kong, one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China...
, Shenzhen
Shenzhen
Shenzhen is a major city in the south of Southern China's Guangdong Province, situated immediately north of Hong Kong. The area became China's first—and one of the most successful—Special Economic Zones...
and Guangzhou
Guangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
. It is 50% owned by Dairy Farm International Holdings Limited.
At present, Maxim's operates over 420 branches, employing 12,800 people and serving more than 480,000 customers per day. With regards to its wide range of catering services, Maxim's also offers a series of products tailor-made for specific festivals, most notably mooncakes during the lead-up to the Mid-Autumn Festival
Mid-Autumn Festival
The Mid-Autumn Festival , also known as the Moon Festival or Mooncake Festival or Zhongqiu Festival, is a popular lunar harvest festival celebrated by Chinese and Vietnamese people. A description of the festival first appeared in Rites of Zhou, a written collection of rituals of the Western Zhou...
, Nian gao or glutinous rice cakes at Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year – often called Chinese Lunar New Year although it actually is lunisolar – is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays. It is an all East and South-East-Asia celebration...
, and roast turkeys at Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
. Maxim's mooncakes have been awarded the "Q-Mark" certificate of excellence along with an internationally approved HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points
Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points
Hazard analysis and critical control points, or HACCP , is a systematic preventive approach to food safety and pharmaceutical safety that addresses physical, chemical, and biological hazards as a means of prevention rather than finished product inspection...
) certificate confirming its quality. Incidentally, it has continuously achieved the highest sales volume in Hong Kong of any mooncake supplier for the past nine years (1998-2006).
Maxim's official aim is to be a "company of three benefits" (「三益公司」 in Chinese); the "three benefits" refer to the employee, the customer and the employer - all three are to be equally well-served by the company.
History
Maxim's originally started out in the 1950s under the name of "Hong Kong Caterers". In December 1956, Maxim's opened its first restaurant and nightclub (offering French cuisine) in the basement of the old Lane CrawfordLane Crawford
Lane Crawford is a retailing company with specialty stores selling designer label luxury goods in Hong Kong and Beijing, China....
Building (now the site of The Landmark). It proved an instant success and soon became Hong Kong's premier night-time gathering spot. The world-famous rock-and-roll group The Platters
The Platters
The Platters were a vocal group of the early rock and roll era. Their distinctive sound was a bridge between the pre-rock Tin Pan Alley tradition and the burgeoning new genre...
performed at the restaurant's opening, and in 1960 The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
also performed there during a visit to Hong Kong.
In the mid-1960s, with the opening of new nightlife venues in the form of the Mandarin Oriental
Mandarin Oriental
Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group , a member of the Jardine Matheson Group, is an international hotel investment and management group with luxury hotels, resorts and residences in Asia, Europe and the Americas...
and Hilton
Hilton Hotels
Hilton Hotels & Resorts is an international chain of full-service hotels and resorts founded by Conrad Hilton and now owned by Hilton Worldwide. Hilton hotels are either owned by, managed by, or franchised to independent operators by Hilton Worldwide. Hilton Hotels became the first coast-to-coast...
hotels, Dr James Tak Wu
James Tak Wu
Dr James Tak Wu, SBS isa Hong Kong-based conglomerateur. As Chairman of Maxim's Catering Limited, a subsidiary of Dairy Farm International Holdings Ltd., he helped co-founded and helped establish a chain of operates restaurants, night clubs, fast food outlets, cake and coffee shops, institutional...
and his brother, S.T. Wu, converted their Maxim's outlets into upmarket coffee shops, opening 20 different branches within a period of two years. The first branch of Maxim's Cakes opened in 1966 in Tsim Sha Tsui
Tsim Sha Tsui
Tsim Sha Tsui , often abbreviated as TST, is an urbanized area in southern Kowloon, Hong Kong. The area is administratively part of the Yau Tsim Mong District. Tsim Sha Tsui East is a piece of land reclaimed from the Hung Hom Bay now east of Tsim Sha Tsui...
's Ocean Terminal
Ocean Terminal
Ocean Terminal may refer to:*Ocean Terminal, Edinburgh*Ocean Terminal, now demolished, at Southampton docks*Ocean Terminal, Greenock*Ocean Terminal, Hong Kong*Ocean Terminal , a British Transport Film...
, alongside a very successful Maxim's restaurant, Maxim's Boulevard.
In 1970, Maxim's appointed Annie Wu Suk-ching
Annie Wu Suk-ching
Dr. Annie Wu Suk-ching , SBS, JP, is a Hong Kong-based Chinese businesswoman and activist of Taishan, Guangdong origin. She is the daughter of Hong Kong businessman Dr. James Tak Wu...
, daughter of co-founder, Dr James Tak Wu, to bring its catering services to Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
's Expo '70
Expo '70
was a World's Fair held in Suita, Osaka, Japan between March 15 and September 13, 1970. The theme of the Expo was "Progress and Harmony for Mankind." In Japanese Expo '70 is often referred to as Ōsaka Banpaku...
under the banner of "Jade Garden", providing the Hong Kong Pavilion with classic Cantonese delicacies, such as Dim Sum
Dim sum
Dim sum refers to a style of Chinese food prepared as small bite-sized or individual portions of food traditionally served in small steamer baskets or on small plates...
. Jade Garden earned widespread critical acclaim for its services, and within the very next year the first of Maxim's Chinese Restaurants, also named "Jade Garden", was opened on the fourth floor of Tsim Sha Tsui
Tsim Sha Tsui
Tsim Sha Tsui , often abbreviated as TST, is an urbanized area in southern Kowloon, Hong Kong. The area is administratively part of the Yau Tsim Mong District. Tsim Sha Tsui East is a piece of land reclaimed from the Hung Hom Bay now east of Tsim Sha Tsui...
's Star House
Star House
Star House is a commercial building facing Victoria Harbour in Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong. The building is located on Salisbury Road and Canton Road....
. Pioneering a brand new management approach of "Chinese food with Western standards of service" and taking the lead in adopting modern, wholly merit-based hiring practices, Jade Garden did more than live up to the expectations created at Expo '70
Expo '70
was a World's Fair held in Suita, Osaka, Japan between March 15 and September 13, 1970. The theme of the Expo was "Progress and Harmony for Mankind." In Japanese Expo '70 is often referred to as Ōsaka Banpaku...
. In light of this success, more Cantonese restaurant
Cantonese restaurant
A Cantonese restaurant is a type of Chinese restaurant that originated from Southern China. This style of restaurant soon flourished in Hong Kong.-History:Some of the earliest restaurants in Colonial Hong Kong were influenced by Cantonese people...
s followed, including Maxim's Chinese Restaurant, Maxim's Palace, Serenade Chinese Restaurant and Guangzhou Garden. In 1972, the first Maxim's Fast Food outlet was established. Since then it has become one of Hong Kong's representative fast food
Fast food
Fast food is the term given to food that can be prepared and served very quickly. While any meal with low preparation time can be considered to be fast food, typically the term refers to food sold in a restaurant or store with preheated or precooked ingredients, and served to the customer in a...
shops.
Between 1970 and 1980, Maxim's restaurants expanded to include brands that served regional cuisine from different parts of China. Examples include Chiuchow Garden, Peking Garden, Hunan Garden and Sichuan Garden. At the same time, the company was the first in Hong Kong to use Kobe
Kobe
, pronounced , is the fifth-largest city in Japan and is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture on the southern side of the main island of Honshū, approximately west of Osaka...
Beef
Beef
Beef is the culinary name for meat from bovines, especially domestic cattle. Beef can be harvested from cows, bulls, heifers or steers. It is one of the principal meats used in the cuisine of the Middle East , Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Europe and the United States, and is also important in...
in its two newly opened upmarket Japanese restaurants.
In 1980, when flights opened up between Mainland China
Mainland China
Mainland China, the Chinese mainland or simply the mainland, is a geopolitical term that refers to the area under the jurisdiction of the People's Republic of China . According to the Taipei-based Mainland Affairs Council, the term excludes the PRC Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, the Civil Aviation Administration of China
Civil Aviation Administration of China
The Civil Aviation Administration of China , formerly the General Administration of Civil Aviation of China , is the aviation authority under the Ministry of Transport of the People's Republic of China. It oversees civil aviation and investigates aviation accidents and incidents...
(CAAC) realised that there was a problem - there had been no previous air catering agreements with American companies. The Hong Kong branch of the Xinhua News Agency
Xinhua News Agency
The Xinhua News Agency is the official press agency of the government of the People's Republic of China and the biggest center for collecting information and press conferences in the PRC. It is the largest news agency in the PRC, ahead of the China News Service...
swiftly recommended Maxim's Group to the CAAC, but this proposed Sino-foreign joint venture soon encountered some difficulties. In the end the CAAC asked for advice from the Central Government leader, Deng Xiaoping
Deng Xiaoping
Deng Xiaoping was a Chinese politician, statesman, and diplomat. As leader of the Communist Party of China, Deng was a reformer who led China towards a market economy...
, to which he replied, "Does Mr. Wu know how to make bread? If he does then let him do it!" As a result, Maxim's Catering obtained the right to manage the CAAC's food operations, becoming the first Sino-foreign joint venture and earning the coveted license number 001.
In 1982, Maxim's Cakes opened branches in every MTR
MTR
Mass Transit Railway is the rapid transit railway system in Hong Kong. Originally opened in 1979, the system now includes 211.6 km of rail with 155 stations, including 86 railway stations and 69 light rail stops...
station, pushing new boundaries. By 1988, every station on the Kowloon-Canton Railway
Kowloon-Canton Railway
The Kowloon–Canton Railway refers to a railway network in Hong Kong which is now combined with the MTR railway system, comprising rapid transit services, a light rail system and feeder bus routes within Hong Kong, and intercity passenger and freight train services to the rest of China...
(KCR) also had a branch. In 1986, half of Maxim's company shares were sold to Jardine Group, but the Wu family still possessed the right to make strategic decisions; this position has been retained up till now. As a consequence, more branches of Maxim's various brands and restaurants have been opened in properties owned by Hongkong Land
Hongkong Land
Hongkong Land is one of Asia’s leading property investment, management and development groups with premium commercial and residential property interests across the region. It owns and manages some five million square feet of commercial space in Hong Kong’s Central Business District serving...
, such as Jardine House
Jardine House
Jardine House , formerly known as Connaught Centre , is an office tower in Hong Kong. The building is located at 1 Connaught Place, Central on the Hong Kong Island. It is owned by Hongkong Land Limited, a subsidiary of Jardines. At the time of its completion in 1972, Jardine House was the tallest...
, The Landmark, Exchange Square
Exchange Square (Hong Kong)
The Exchange Square is a building complex located in Central, Hong Kong. It houses offices and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. It is served by the Central and Hong Kong stations of the MTR metro system....
and the World Trade Centre (Hong Kong)
World Trade Centre (Hong Kong)
The World Trade Centre was the name of one of the portfolio of buildings developed in Hong Kong by Jardines through its property development arm, Hongkong Land, and is also connected via passageway to its neighbour, The Excelsior It has since been sold to Sun Hung Kai Properties...
, spurring rapid growth.
In 1992, Maxim's attempted to expand northwards to Guangzhou
Guangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
, but as the market conditions were not ripe, the business was withdrawn. Michael Wu, a third-generation member of the Wu family, joined Maxim's at the age of 21; he is currently (as of 2009) the brand's General Manager.
In 1998, Maxim's launched a new restaurant series named m.a.x. concepts, which managed such restaurant brands as MAX, Cellini, Mecca, Thai Basil, eating plus, Mezz, café Landmark and Emporio Armani Caffé. Complementing this new wave of contemporary restaurants are revolutionary modern Japanese restaurants Kiku and Miso. Maxim's existing range of Chinese restaurants were also updated with new, innovative dishes and the dining environments were also revamped with state-of-the-art utensils and decor.
In January 1999, as a Hello Kitty
Hello Kitty
is a fictional character produced by the Japanese company Sanrio, first designed by Yuko Shimizu. She is portrayed as a female white Japanese bobtail cat with a red bow. The character's first appearance on an item, a vinyl coin purse, was introduced in Japan in 1974 and brought to the United States...
craze swept through Hong Kong, Maxim's partnered with Sanrio
Sanrio
is a Japanese company that designs, licenses and produces products focusing on the kawaii segment of Japanese popular culture. Their products include stationery, school supplies, gifts and accessories that are sold worldwide and at specialty brand retail stores in Japan...
and opened three branches of the new Hello Kitty Café in Tsuen Wan
Tsuen Wan
Tsuen Wan is a bay in the Kowloon area of Hong Kong, opposite to Tsing Yi Island across Rambler Channel. The market town of Tsuen Wan emerged for the surrounding villages and fleets of fishing boats in the area. The town is around the present-day Tsuen Wan Station of the MTR...
and Kowloon
Kowloon
Kowloon is an urban area in Hong Kong comprising the Kowloon Peninsula and New Kowloon. It is bordered by the Lei Yue Mun strait in the east, Mei Foo Sun Chuen and Stonecutter's Island in the west, Tate's Cairn and Lion Rock in the north, and Victoria Harbour in the south. It had a population of...
. After the craze passed, Maxim's did not continue its partnership with Sanrio
Sanrio
is a Japanese company that designs, licenses and produces products focusing on the kawaii segment of Japanese popular culture. Their products include stationery, school supplies, gifts and accessories that are sold worldwide and at specialty brand retail stores in Japan...
and all three branches were closed. In July the same year, Maxim's Restaurant and Café Yoyo in Causeway Bay
Causeway Bay
Causeway Bay is a heavily built-up area of Hong Kong, People's Republic of China, located on the Hong Kong Island, and covering parts of Wan Chai and Eastern districts. The Chinese name is also romanized as Tung Lo Wan as in Tung Lo Wan Road...
's Hong Kong Building (on Yee Wo Street
Yee Wo Street
Yee Wo Street is a street in East Point and Causeway Bay, Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong. Its junction with Hennessy Road is one of the busiest junctions in Hong Kong.-Name:...
) were closed down. The site where they formerly stood is now Causeway Place.
In 2000 Michael Wu became a Maxim's board member and general manager. Maxim's opened an Ultraman Café in Shatin's New Town Plaza
New Town Plaza
New Town Plaza is a shopping mall in the town centre of Sha Tin in Hong Kong. Developed by Sun Hung Kai Properties, it was the biggest shopping mall in the New Territories of Hong Kong when it was completed in the early 1980s...
, which was then converted into a Beijing restaurant after two years of operation. In May, Maxim's successfully brought Starbucks Coffee culture to Hong Kong, partnering with Starbucks Coffee International, Inc.
Starbucks
Starbucks Corporation is an international coffee and coffeehouse chain based in Seattle, Washington. Starbucks is the largest coffeehouse company in the world, with 17,009 stores in 55 countries, including over 11,000 in the United States, over 1,000 in Canada, over 700 in the United Kingdom, and...
to form Coffee Concepts Ltd.. Within the first two months of operation, Starbucks
Starbucks
Starbucks Corporation is an international coffee and coffeehouse chain based in Seattle, Washington. Starbucks is the largest coffeehouse company in the world, with 17,009 stores in 55 countries, including over 11,000 in the United States, over 1,000 in Canada, over 700 in the United Kingdom, and...
outlets were already making a profit. In two years' time, 30 new branches were opened throughout Hong Kong, and in late 2002 Starbucks
Starbucks
Starbucks Corporation is an international coffee and coffeehouse chain based in Seattle, Washington. Starbucks is the largest coffeehouse company in the world, with 17,009 stores in 55 countries, including over 11,000 in the United States, over 1,000 in Canada, over 700 in the United Kingdom, and...
expanded to Macau
Macau
Macau , also spelled Macao , is, along with Hong Kong, one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China...
and Shenzhen
Shenzhen
Shenzhen is a major city in the south of Southern China's Guangdong Province, situated immediately north of Hong Kong. The area became China's first—and one of the most successful—Special Economic Zones...
. The travel magazine Condé Nast Traveler
Condé Nast Traveler
Condé Nast Traveler is a US magazine published by Condé Nast. It has its origins in a mailing sent out by the Diners Club club beginning in 1953, listing locations that would take the card. It began taking advertising in 1955. In order to attract more advertisers, it became a full-fledged magazine,...
named Thai Basil
Thai basil
Thai basil is a type of sweet basil native to Southeast Asia that has been cultivated to provide a distinctive set of traits. It has an identifiable licorice flavor not present in sweet basil, and its flavor is more stable under high or extended cooking temperatures than that of sweet basil...
as one of the "World's 60 Best New Restaurants".
In 2002, to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Hong Kong City Hall, the building's eateries (all managed by Maxim's) underwent a large-scale renovation. Foyer Bar was converted into Deli & Wine, Theatre Café became Maxim's Restaurant, and the signature Maxim's Restaurant (City Hall) became Maxim's Palace.
In 2003, Maxim's co-founder S.T. Wu died at the age of 92. The same year, Maxim's Cakes launched a new brand, simply bread, and Peking Garden in Central's Alexandra House was reopened after more than a year of renovation. Designed by a Chilean architect, the renovated Peking Garden is notable for its eclectic, arresting decor featuring bronze and dark wooden touches as well as walls painted an unmistakably Latin shade of red. With the spread of the SARS epidemic
Epidemic
In epidemiology, an epidemic , occurs when new cases of a certain disease, in a given human population, and during a given period, substantially exceed what is expected based on recent experience...
to Hong Kong, Maxim's business dropped by 40%, but business in its coffee shops and bakeries actually increased and profits were made in these sectors.
Since then, Maxim's has continued to expand its operations. In 2004, a new restaurant outlet, rice paper
Rice paper
Rice paper usually refers to paper made from parts of the rice plant, like rice straw or rice flour. The term is also used for paper made from or containing other plants, such as hemp, bamboo or mulberry...
, was opened, ushering in a new wave of French-Vietnamese restaurants. During the same year, Maxim's Fast Food began producing ready meals and appetisers to be sold in 7-11 and Wellcome
Wellcome
Wellcome is a supermarket chain owned by Jardine Matheson Holdings via its Dairy Farm subsidiary. The Wellcome supermarket chain is one of the two largest supermarket chains in Hong Kong, the other being PARKnSHOP. Wellcome also operates supermarkets in Taiwan under the Wellcome name...
supermarkets. When Starbucks Coffee celebrated its fifth year of operation in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
in May 2005, there were already 50 branches across the SAR, far exceeding the required amount outlined in the partnership contract.
As of 2007, there have been three new additions to Maxim's Group. Maxim's bought Genki Sushi
Genki Sushi
Genki Sushi is a chain of conveyor belt sushi restaurants established in 1990 in Japan. The chain expanded to include locations in Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Hawaii, Seattle and Kuwait.-External links:***...
in early 2006, and the company introduced renowned American restaurant Lawry's the Prime Rib
Lawry's
Lawry's The Prime Rib is a high-end, gourmet restaurant chain. The original location on Restaurant Row on La Cienega Boulevard in Beverly Hills, California, was founded by Lawrence L. Frank and Walter Van de Kamp and opened in 1938...
to Hong Kong the same year. Maxim's has also teamed up with Australian chef Geoff Lindsay, creating the restaurant Pearl on the Peak in the newly renovated Peak Tower
Peak Tower
The Peak Tower is a leisure and shopping complex located at Victoria Gap, near the summit of Victoria Peak on Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong. It also houses the upper terminal of the Peak Tram. Both the Peak Tower and the Peak Tram are owned by the Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels group, the owner of...
.