Getting ready for Max and Ermas™

Apr 2008 Filed in: Journal Standard
Getting ready for Max and Ermas™
By Cara Spoto cspoto@journalstandard.com


FREEPORT — It may sound like any area mom and pop diner, but Max and Erma’s — the new restaurant slated to open at the Hampton Inn this fall — is anything but. At least that’s the word from Atira Hotels Principal, Dan Beider, who, after months of keeping locals in suspense, announced Thursday that the Ohio-based chain would soon be opening a location at the downtown hotel. Once completed the restaurant will seal the development agreement made between Atira and the city more than two years ago. Formerly the Stephenson Hotel, Atira purchased a majority stake in the property in 2005. Since the hotel opened its doors in March, Beider has worked to find a restaurant, meeting with various companies before settling on Max and Erma’s. Beider said Friday that the thing that really sealed the deal with the chain is their food, noting that one item on the menu in particular made him take a shine to the restaurant: the soft-baked pretzel sticks.  “Not only are they really good, but I thought it would be kind of cool for Freeport,” he said. But it’s not just the pretzels. Atira likes Max and Erma’s so much that it is signing a “multi-unit” development agreement with the chain. “We are going to be putting multiple Max and Erma’s in our hotel developments. We are actually going to be the developers and owners of the restaurants,” he said. Beider said he would like to get started on construction of the new restaurant as soon as possible. “It shouldn’t take that long. It’s really a remodel job more than anything,” he said. The Restaurant


Founded in 1972, Todd Barnum and Barry Zacks purchased the first Max and Erma’s, an old railroader bar in Columbus, Ohio’s German Village from a couple called Max and Erma. Today the restaurant has more than 100 locations throughout the country. Most of its restaurants are located in the Midwest and Southeast, including several locations in suburban Chicago locales, like Vernon Hills and Hoffman Estates. It also has locations in Nevada, Atlanta and Pennsylvania. In addition to an eclectic menu the chain claims to be the first restaurant in the Midwest to sell “gourmet hamburgers,” company spokesman Robin Yocum said Friday.  The restaurant is also very proud of it’s pledge to serve the freshest of ingredients. “Their food is fresh, never frozen,” Yocum said. “They have the shrimp specials only on Friday and Saturday nights when they can get fresh shrimp. Very few things come out of a box. They take a lot of pride in that.” While the interior of many original Max and Erma’s resembles that of a TGI Fridays or Applebee’s with darker colors and walls packed with eclectic items, Yocum said the restaurant is moving toward a brighter feel for its new locations.   The Freeport location will boast a full bar and should seat anywhere from 100 to 120 diners. As for hours, Beider said, that at a minimum the restaurant should be open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven-days-a-week, but added that he plans to stay open later. Eric White, owner of Logan’s Bar & Grill, will manage the restaurant. While he’s not sure how many employees he’ll hire, he said Friday that the operation would require at least a staff of 15. Mayor George Gaulrapp said Friday the restaurant will be a catalyst for change. “Dan Beider has once again continued to invest in downtown Freeport,” Gaulrapp said. “He believes the area will continue to thrive.” Menu Like most casual-dining restaurants Max and Erma’s menu boasts a variety of items, from sizable appetizers like “black bean roll-ups” to sandwiches and playful entrees, like Caribbean Chicken and Singapore Salmon. There is also a ribs and steak section, offering Laredo Steak and Fall-off-the-Bone BBQ Ribs. The desert menu offers a number of items, including the restaurant’s famous sundae bar. Both Beider and Yocum said they are regulars of the restaurant. Yocum’s a big fan of the shrimp and said he loves the “Garbage Burger,” a fresh patty topped with bacon, American, cheddar, swiss and mozzarella cheeses, grilled onions, sautéed mushrooms, guacamole & marinara sauce. In addition to the pretzel sticks, Beider said he likes the barbecue-chicken quesadillas and the tomato-mozzarella burger. “I really can’t get enough of either of them,” he said. Both men are also big fans of the chain’s chocolate chip cookies, which are baked-fresh upon order. “They bring them to you warm,” Yocum said. “They are so good.” As for the prices Yocum said they’re affordable. “They have done a really good job of trying to keep their prices down,” Yocum said. “You can have a very nice lunch for $6 or $7.”

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