The city is reviewing a permit application for the proposed almost $1.32 million build-out for Max’s Restaurant in College Park, the former Town & Country Shopping Center in Arlington.
ShayCore LLC of Jacksonville is shown as the contractor for the 4,656-square-foot tenant improvement at 907 University Blvd. N., near Legacy Ministries.
Plans show 148 seats.
Maxsrestaurantna.com says the Jacksonville location will be opening in spring 2025. It is accepting job applications.
The Philippines-based Max’s Restaurant became known as “The House That Fried Chicken Built.” The logo is “Max’s Restaurant Since 1945.”
College Park is at northeast Arlington Expressway and University Boulevard in Arlington. The Urban Division of Colliers, led by Senior Vice President Matthew Clark and senior associates Sam Middlekauff and Olivia Steinemann, is representing the property.
Maxsrestaurantna.com shows that the restaurant began in 1945 when Maximo Gimenez, a Stanford–educated teacher, befriended the American occupation troops stationed at Quezon City.
Soldiers regularly visited his home for a drink and later insisted that they pay for their drinks.
“This prompted Maximo to open a cafe, where the troops could enjoy food and drinks,” it says.
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 – tender, juicy and crispy – and they came too! Max’s Restaurant was born.”
The site says Max’s Restaurant has established itself as a household name in the Philippines.
“Now a global brand, Max’s Restaurant serves real, authentic Philippine cuisine at over 180 locations in the Philippines, 4 in the Middle East, and 21 in North America.”
The site now shows five Max’s Restaurants in Canada and 19 locations in the United States.
The nine states comprise nine locations in California, two each in Hawaii and New Jersey, and one each in Illinois, Nevada, New York, Texas, Virginia and Washington state.
Max’s Restaurant is part of Max’s Group Inc., which now has 13 additional brands and calls itself the largest casual dining restaurant company in the Philippines.
The Houston Max’s Restaurant menu shows Max’s fried chicken “Sarap-to-the-Bones” “best enjoyed with Banana Ketchup and Worcestershire Sauce” for $17 whole and $13 half.
The menu includes appetizers, vegetables and seafood, soups, rice and noodles, desserts, beverages and “Ruby’s Favorites” such as beef peanut stew, crispy pork hock, crispy pork belly, rich meat stew, beef steak, pork in shrimp paste, and sizzling diced chicken.
A sample of menu items includes calamari, heart of palm egg rolls, boneless marinated milkfish, pork or beef tamarind soup, leche flan and mango and coconut jelly in cream.
The website shows that franchise criteria include a site of at least 4,000 square feet, adequate parking, easy access to highways and be in an area with a 50,000 Filipino population to a minimum of 35,000 in a concentrated city.
The restaurant design and layout will come from the Max’s Restaurant design team from the Philippines.
Jacksonville-based JWB Real Estate Capital bought and is redeveloping the 71-year-old College Park retail plaza that was built between 1953 and 1979.
It comprises about 189,000 square feet of space.
The property is part of the Renew Arlington Community Redevelopment Area, which the city intends to assist with rejuvenation.
Through 903 University Blvd LLC, Jacksonville-based JWB Real Estate Capital paid almost $5.1 million for the 18.27-acre property in August 2019.
