Max's Group adapts to pandemic with innovations: president

MANILA - Max's Group has put innovations at the center of its operations during the pandemic to adapt to the changing consumer behaviors and mitigate price increases, its president Ariel Fermin said Tuesday.

In an interview with ANC, Fermin said the company has evolved along with the consumers.

"In fact we wanted to kind of trailblazer into this path and tell the consumers, ‘Hey we’re not just going to be serving you in the form of brick and mortar restaurants but also in other forms, whatever is safest for you, whatever is most convenient for you'," he added.

The company entered the B2B market as a manufacturer for its peers, making buns, patties, cakes and bread, among others, Fermin said.

Max's has also released ready-to-cook frozen meals which are now available in stores and online for consumers who prefer to safely dine at home, he said.

"Not just confined in brick and mortar but also the e-commerce space, which of course is very much in line with what the world is headed right now," Fermin said.

Fermin said the company has also learned to "repurpose" their brick-and-mortar space to focus on simplicity and what consumers need. They introduced curbside pick-up and alfresco dine-in to cater to customers' needs amid mobility restrictions.

Capacities for in-store dining were reduced during the height of the pandemic to ensure safety. Restrictions have now been relaxed as COVID-19 cases decline.

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Store models are also now "half" of the usual, which means returns are faster achieved, Fermin said.

With 13 brands under the group, Fermin said the company has also learned to "harmonize ingredients" to leverage on volume as prices of raw materials spike.

"We’ve leveraged on our volumes and in that case we’d probably have a chance to mitigate price increases," he said.

"One ingredient can be used by the rest of the brands doing that leverage in volume. It’s quite practical thing to do," he added.

Fermin said they focus on the 4 key brands which are Max's, Pancake House, Yellow Cab, and Krispy Kreme.

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