Maxim's Caterers
A Hong Kong-based multi-brand food and beverage group spanning restaurants, bakeries, fast food, franchised international brands, and institutional catering.
Last updated November 4, 2026
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Overview
Maxim's Caterers is a Hong Kong food and beverage group founded in 1956 by brothers James Wu and Wu Shun Tak. From its first Western-style restaurant and nightclub in Central, the company developed into one of Hong Kong's broadest catering businesses. Its portfolio has included Chinese, Western, Japanese, Thai and other Asian restaurants; quick-service outlets under Maxim's MX; bakery chains including Maxim's Cakes and Arome Bakery; institutional and contract catering; and licensed or franchised international brands. The company began by targeting affluent diners with a theatrical restaurant experience combining Western food, live entertainment and attentive service. Competition from hotels and international operators in the 1960s encouraged a shift toward cafés, daytime dining and more scalable formats. The group subsequently expanded into Cantonese and regional Chinese restaurants, including Jade Garden and Peking Garden, while also developing bakery and festive-food businesses. Maxim's Cakes became a particularly important retail network, with outlets placed in transport hubs and other high-traffic locations. Maxim's broadened its mass-market presence through Maxim's Fast Food, now commonly known as Maxim's MX, and through restaurants serving dim sum, banquet food and regional Chinese cuisines. It also experimented with contemporary concepts through the m.a.x. concepts platform, which supported brands such as MAX, Cellini, Mecca, Thai Basil and eating plus. Japanese concepts were introduced and periodically reformulated under different names as the group adjusted its portfolio. A major strategic development was the relationship with Jardine Matheson. A Jardine-related company became a shareholder in 1972, and the interest was later transferred to Dairy Farm International Holdings, now associated with DFI Retail Group. Although Jardine-related interests hold half of the company, public reference material states that strategic control remains with the Ng family. This relationship also supported expansion into prominent commercial properties. The group became a significant operator of international brands in the region. In 2000 it established a Hong Kong Starbucks joint venture, later restructuring ownership with Starbucks so that Maxim's took full ownership of Starbucks operations in Hong Kong and Macau while Starbucks took control of specified mainland Chinese territories. Maxim's has also been associated with brands including Genki Sushi, Sen-ryo, Arome Bakery, Ippudo, The Cheesecake Factory and Shake Shack, although the precise status of individual arrangements can change. Maxim's also operates professional catering for industrial, commercial, educational and healthcare clients. Its food-manufacturing and retail activities include mooncakes, Chinese New Year puddings, rice dumplings, preserved meats and other seasonal products. The group describes its business philosophy through a three-way benefit model directed toward employees, customers and employers. It operates across Hong Kong and selected markets in Greater China and Southeast Asia, with a network reported in reference material to exceed 1,000 outlets. The company has faced reputational criticism over historical shark-fin sales and over public comments by Annie Wu during the 2019–2020 Hong Kong protests.
History
Maxim's began in 1956 when brothers James Wu and Wu Shun Tak opened a Western-style restaurant in Central, Hong Kong. The venue combined dining, nightlife and live entertainment and quickly became associated with prominent customers and social occasions. The arrival of major hotel restaurants in the 1960s made the original nightclub model more difficult to sustain. Maxim's responded by moving toward cafés, daytime meals, snacks and formats that could be reproduced in multiple locations. The business expanded its Chinese dining presence in the early 1970s. Jade Garden opened in 1971 and used a more modern service model for Cantonese food, while the group later developed Peking Garden and other regional Chinese concepts. A holding company, Maxim's Caterers Limited, was established in 1972 to consolidate the Maxim's and Jade Garden businesses. That year also marked the beginning of the group's fast-food expansion. A Jardine-related company acquired a stake during the same period; the holding was later transferred to Dairy Farm International Holdings, now connected with DFI Retail Group. Although this gave the group a powerful corporate partner and access to major commercial properties, reference material continues to identify the Ng family as the decision-making force. During the late 1970s and 1980s Maxim's moved decisively beyond high-end restaurants. It opened Cantonese, Teochew and other regional formats, established Maxim's Cakes outlets in railway and MTR locations, and developed a substantial bakery network. The group entered the mooncake business in 1986; its first reported production run sold out rapidly, helping establish seasonal packaged foods as an important part of the brand portfolio. Japanese concepts were also introduced and later refreshed under successive names. Maxim's made several attempts to enter Mainland China during the 1990s, including a Beijing Jade Garden restaurant and later fast-food and bakery outlets in Guangzhou, Foshan and Shanghai. The mainland business encountered losses and the group eventually withdrew from that phase of expansion. In parallel, the third generation of the Ng family became more involved. Ng Wai Kwok joined in 1992 and was appointed managing director in 2000. The m.a.x. concepts platform, created in 1998, supported newer and more contemporary restaurant formats. The group entered a new phase through international licensing and partnerships. It obtained operating rights for Starbucks in Hong Kong and Macau and helped adapt the chain's offer to local demand by adding warm food and light-meal options. The partnership expanded into other territories before a 2011 ownership reorganization divided regional responsibilities between Starbucks and Maxim's. Maxim's also developed or operated concepts associated with Genki Sushi, Sen-ryo, Arome Bakery, Ippudo, The Cheesecake Factory and Shake Shack. In 2005, Maxim's secured food and beverage operating rights at Hong Kong Disneyland, including Plaza Inn and Market House Bakery. The company now combines branded restaurants, quick-service outlets, bakeries, seasonal food production, international franchises and contract catering. Its public profile has nevertheless been affected by conservation criticism related to historical shark-fin sales and by controversy surrounding Annie Wu's statements during the Hong Kong protest period. These issues sit alongside the group's longer-term identity as a large, family-controlled Hong Kong catering platform. Maxim's traces its origins to Hong Kong in 1956. It developed within the city's expanding restaurant and hospitality economy, where dining businesses could build recognition through consistent service, food quality, and a recognizable house name. The brand's historical importance comes less from a single documented product invention than from the gradual extension of a Hong Kong food-service identity into several connected categories. As the business expanded, Maxim's became associated with a broad range of food activities. Restaurant and catering operations formed an important foundation, while bakery, confectionery, festive foods, and packaged products gave the name a presence outside restaurants. This diversification allowed the brand to participate in both immediate consumption and take-home or gifting occasions. It also created a connection between hospitality and retail: the same brand could be encountered in a dining setting, a bakery or food outlet, or through seasonal products sold for home use. Mooncakes became a defining part of the consumer-facing identity. In Hong Kong, mooncakes are strongly connected with the Mid-Autumn Festival, when they are purchased for family gatherings, personal consumption, and formal or corporate gifting. Maxim's participation in this category helped make the brand especially visible during the festival season. Its mooncake business also supported recognition beyond Hong Kong, including among consumers in mainland China and other Asian markets. The brand's later profile has consequently been shaped by two mutually reinforcing elements. The first is a local hospitality heritage connected with restaurants and food service. The second is a scalable consumer-food business built around products that can be packaged, distributed, gifted, and purchased seasonally. Bakery products, confectionery, snacks, and other food items extend the brand's relevance beyond the Mid-Autumn period, while restaurants and catering provide an ongoing service presence. Maxim's Group's official communications describe food as a way of connecting people and sharing everyday experiences. That message reflects the brand's position between daily dining and celebratory consumption. It also explains why the name can function across multiple formats without being limited to one product category. The supplied reference material does not provide a detailed year-by-year corporate chronology, named founders, ownership disclosures, executive biographies, transaction history, or audited financial information. Accordingly, this history records only the supported broad development of the Hong Kong brand: origins in 1956, expansion across hospitality and food categories, strong association with mooncakes and festive gifting, and operation across Hong Kong, mainland China, and Southeast Asia. More precise milestones require additional authoritative sources. Beyond its restaurant and hospitality heritage, Maxim's extended its Hong Kong food-service identity into connected consumer categories. Bakery, confectionery, festive foods and packaged products gave the name a presence outside restaurants, allowing the brand to participate in both immediate consumption and take-home or gifting occasions. Mooncakes became a defining part of the consumer-facing identity: in Hong Kong they are strongly connected with the Mid-Autumn Festival, when they are purchased for family gatherings, personal consumption, and formal or corporate gifting. Maxim's participation in this category helped make the brand especially visible during the festival season and supported recognition beyond Hong Kong, including among consumers in mainland China and other Asian markets. Maxim's Group's official communications describe food as a way of connecting people and sharing everyday experiences, reflecting the brand's position between daily dining and celebratory consumption.
- 2011
Starbucks regional ownership reorganized
[1]The parties divided ownership and operating territories between Hong Kong and Macau and several mainland Chinese markets.
- 2005
Hong Kong Disneyland operations secured
[1]Maxim's became operator of selected food venues at Hong Kong Disneyland.
- 2000
Starbucks partnership begins in Hong Kong
[1]Maxim's and Starbucks established a joint venture to operate Starbucks stores in Hong Kong.
- 1998
m.a.x. concepts established
[1]The group created a platform for developing newer restaurant concepts and contemporary dining formats.
- 1991
First Mainland China restaurant
[1]Beijing Jade Garden opened at Liangmahe Shopping Mall in Beijing.
- 1986
Mooncake business launched
[1]Maxim's entered the mooncake market, creating a major seasonal product line.
- 1982
Maxim's Cakes expands through railway locations
[1]The bakery business added numerous outlets along Hong Kong's railway network.
- 1972
Holding company and fast-food expansion
[1]Maxim's Caterers Limited was formed and the group began developing its fast-food business.
- 1971
Jade Garden opens
[1]Maxim's opened its first Cantonese restaurant under the Jade Garden name in Star House, Tsim Sha Tsui.
- 1966
Expansion into café dining and pastries
[1]The first Maxim's Café opened at Ocean Terminal, helping establish the café and bakery direction.
Products and positioning
A diversified Hong Kong catering house serving mass-market, premium and institutional segments through a large multi-brand operating platform. A Hong Kong-rooted food and hospitality brand combining restaurant and catering activities with festive foods, bakery, confectionery, and packaged consumer products. Its mooncakes are its most prominent seasonal consumer offering.
Bakery and packaged foods
Maxim's Cakes
Maxim's Cakes is the group's bakery and pastry retail business. It grew through outlets in railway stations, shopping areas and other high-traffic locations, selling cakes, breads, pastries and festive products. The format helped Maxim's extend beyond restaurant dining into everyday take-home consumption.
Fast food · 1972
Maxim's MX
Maxim's MX is the group's Hong Kong-style quick-service format. It offers accessible meals and fast service and forms part of Maxim's strategy of serving the mass market alongside premium restaurants and bakeries.
Seasonal foods · 1986
Maxim's mooncakes
The mooncake line was introduced in 1986 and became one of Maxim's best-known seasonal businesses. It sits within a broader festive-food portfolio that includes New Year puddings, rice dumplings, Chinese sausages and preserved meats. Mooncakes are the brand's best-known seasonal consumer product. They are made for Mid-Autumn Festival consumption and gifting, with boxed presentation supporting household, family, and corporate-purchase occasions. Their strong association with Maxim's gives the brand heightened visibility during the festival season in Hong Kong and in markets where Hong Kong-style festive foods are sold. The mooncake line was introduced in 1986 and became one of Maxim's best-known seasonal businesses. Mooncakes are made for Mid-Autumn Festival consumption and gifting, with boxed presentation supporting household, family, and corporate-purchase occasions. Their strong association with Maxim's gives the brand heightened visibility during the festival season in Hong Kong and in markets where Hong Kong-style festive foods are sold. The line sits within a broader festive-food portfolio that includes New Year puddings, rice dumplings, Chinese sausages and preserved meats.
Cantonese restaurant · 1971
Jade Garden
Jade Garden was Maxim's first major Cantonese restaurant concept. It paired regional Chinese food and dim sum with a more standardized, Western-influenced service approach and provided a foundation for later Chinese restaurant expansion.
Licensed international coffee business · 2000
Starbucks Hong Kong and Macau
Maxim's developed Starbucks operations in Hong Kong and Macau through a joint venture and later acquired full ownership of those operations in the 2011 restructuring. The local business adapted the coffeehouse proposition with warmed food and light meals.
Bakery and sweets
Bakery and confectionery products
Maxim's food activities include bakery and confectionery products that extend the brand beyond restaurant visits and seasonal mooncakes. These products support everyday purchase occasions and provide additional take-home food formats, although the supplied sources do not specify a complete product catalogue or the launch dates of individual lines.
Packaged foods
Packaged snacks
Packaged snacks form part of the brand's broader consumer-food presence. They allow Maxim's products to reach customers outside restaurants and make the name available for routine consumption as well as gifting. Specific snack formulations, sub-brands, and distribution details are not established by the supplied reference material.
Food service · 1956
Restaurant and catering offerings
Restaurant and catering operations are central to Maxim's hospitality identity. They connect the brand with prepared meals, dining occasions, and food-service experiences, complementing its packaged and festive products. The supplied material does not identify every restaurant concept or provide a complete list of venues.
Controversies
2021
Maxim’s fined over lizard found in pork bun
Maxim’s was fined HK$9,000 on January 29 for selling a pork floss bun in which a customer found a small lizard. The report also states that a lawyer for Maxim’s said the bakery had sanitized its premises and tightened monitoring of raw ingredients.
2019
Backlash over Annie Wu's protest comments
Annie Wu, a daughter of one of Maxim's founders, made controversial comments during the 2019–2020 Hong Kong protests. The remarks generated public criticism associated with the Maxim's brand.
Criticism over historical shark-fin sales
Conservation campaigners criticized Maxim's restaurants over the group's previous sale of shark-fin products.
Brand decisions
2011
Starbucks ownership restructuringM&ABackground
Maxim's and Starbucks reorganized their joint regional business.
Action taken
Maxim's obtained full ownership of Starbucks operations in Hong Kong and Macau, while Starbucks assumed control of selected mainland Chinese territories.
Aftermath
The arrangement clarified regional ownership and left Maxim's as the Starbucks operator in Hong Kong and Macau.
1986
Entry into mooncakesProduct launchBackground
The group sought additional retail and seasonal revenue beyond restaurant operations.
Action taken
Maxim's launched a mooncake product line.
Aftermath
The initial reported production sold out within days, encouraging substantial expansion of the category.
1966
Shift from nightclub dining toward cafésStrategyBackground
Competition from newly opened international hotels made the original high-end nightclub model less competitive.
Action taken
Maxim's closed or reduced emphasis on the nightclub format and expanded cafés, daytime dining and pastries.
Aftermath
The change created a more scalable operating model and supported the later bakery business.
Recent events
Reported
Maxim’s fined over lizard found in pork bun[4]
Maxim’s was fined HK$9,000 on January 29 for selling a pork floss bun in which a customer found a small lizard. The report also states that a lawyer for Maxim’s said the bakery had sanitized its premises and tightened monitoring of raw ingredients.
Sources4 sources
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