It was a quiet Sunday in 2009, a day of reprieve for business journalists enjoying a brief ceasefire from the endless churn of the financial markets. But one reporter’s weekend “me time” at the familiar, bustling SM North EDSA was about to take an unexpected turn.

Suddenly, she spotted them: the Sy family, the very architects of the sprawling retail universe she was navigating, moving almost anonymously through their own creation. The patriarch, the late Henry Sy Sr., was still with them, gliding through the crowds in his wheelchair. It wasn’t a press event or a grand opening; it was simply a family on a walk—or perhaps a subtle, firsthand inspection of their empire’s heart.

Driven by instinct, the journalist followed the Sy family discreetly. The scene was remarkably ordinary. They looked, well, normal—just a family going about their day.

It was lunchtime. Tessie Sy-Coson, the eldest daughter and one of the country’s most powerful businesswomen, leaned in to ask her father where he wanted to eat. The founder of the nation’s biggest mall chain, a man who could command any cuisine in the world, did not request a high-end, exclusive restaurant outside the mall. Instead, like any ordinary Filipino, he simply pointed to Max’s Restaurant.

That simple lunchtime choice perfectly captures the root of the four-decade-long business alliance that has shaped the Filipino experience. The partnership between the Max’s Group and SM Supermalls began not with a formal agreement between towering conglomerates, but with a friendly offer.

The year was 1985. Henry Sy Sr., or “Tatang” as he was fondly known, was preparing to launch his first-ever supermall: SM North EDSA. He was already a devoted customer of Max’s, the beloved Filipino brand that started 80 years ago.

According to Sharon T. Fuentebella, Max's Group, Inc. chairperson, Tatang approached Plaridel Fuentebella, the son-in-law of Max’s co-founder, with an offer: the last available space in the new mall.

For Max’s, this was a bold leap. The brand was known for its freestanding, destination restaurants, not for mall setups.

“It was the first time we entered that format,” recalls Fuentebella. “It brought us closer to our customers at a time when malls were just starting to change the Philippine retail landscape.”

That inaugural branch in SM North EDSA wasn't just a success; it was a blueprint. It signaled to Max’s that the future of dining was increasingly inside the air-conditioned convenience of the mall. From that one store, the relationship blossomed.

“When they grow, we grow,” says Fuentebella. Today, you can find 40 Max's restaurants inside SM malls nationwide.

The growth is a testament to shared values. SM’s vision was to create hubs that gathered communities. Max’s mission was to be the comforting place where families would gather.

“It's always been a natural partnership," Fuentebella notes, explaining how SM’s expansion to new provinces has allowed Max’s to serve communities it might never have reached on its own.

But this isn’t a story of stagnation. Over the years, the brands have innovated together, recognizing that even the most enduring institutions must evolve.

Max’s has refreshed its look with open, modern designs, experimented with coffee concepts like Yardstick in SM Southmall, and pioneered flexible dining spaces to optimize the customer experience.

The key to their continued success, after forty years? Trust and open communication, Fuentebella insists.

The story of SM and Max’s is more than just a business case study. It’s a powerful illustration of how two Filipino giants, one a retail behemoth and the other a culinary icon, have built a shared legacy.

It all comes back to that simple Sunday moment: a billionaire patriarch, choosing the ultimate Filipino comfort food, surrounded by his family, right in the heart of his empire. It proves that even the grandest business ventures are ultimately built on understanding and catering to the simple tastes of the common Filipino family.