Consumer >> CEO Interviews >> August 3, 1998
DENNIS MAX, President Unique Restaurant Concepts. After Dennis Max
earned a Master's Degree in finance from the University of Southern
California and entered the banking industry, he headed to Wall Street
where he worked as a stockbroker. Subsequently realizing 'number
crunching' was not something he wanted to continue, the California
native entered a management program at Victoria Station, Inc., a
national chain of railroad steak houses. During his five-year tenure as
southeast regional manager, Max was responsible for opening and managing
20 new restaurants. During his bout at Victoria Station, Max met Burt
Rapoport, a northeast regional manager for the steak house chain. As
both men rose in the company's managerial ranks, they developed a bond
based on similar aspirations of starting up their own restaurant
operation. With that common goal in mind, Max and Rapoport relocated to
Fort Lauderdale, and helped to create Carlos and Pepe's, the prototype
for numerous Mexican restaurants in the 1970s and 1980s. Riding on the
heels of success, Max and Rapoport co-founded Raffles Restaurant in
Miami's Dadeland Mall. The first California-style restaurant in Miami,
it became the quintessential gathering place for young professionals and
eventually led to an additional 10 locations in Florida and Atlanta. In
1984, Max spawned a South Florida food revolution by introducing
California cuisine through his fledgling Caf_ Max. The restaurant,
designed and masterminded by Max and his wife, Patti, was the first of a
series of nationally celebrated restaurants. Following Caf_ Max was
Max's Place in North Miami, Maxaluna in Boca Raton (South Florida's
first Tuscan Grill), Brasserie Max in Plantation, Prezzo in West Boca,
Wilt Chamberlains in West Boca, Max's Grille in Mizner Park, Boca Raton,
Caf_ Ole' in Boca and Notte', a private club adjacent to Maxaluna.
Today, Dennis Max, along with his wife Patti (Vice President) and his
partner Burt Rapoport, own over a dozen restaurants throughout Florida
and recently opened Max's Cafe & Marketplace in Livingston, New Jersey.
Dennis Max concentrates his considerable creative energies on new
project development, from concept to hiring chefs, while Patti develops
and oversees the design of each facility and Burt Rapoport oversees day
to day operations and financial details. It's a considerable task there
are a total of 1000 employees under Unique Restaurant Concepts, ten of
these, including Max and his partners, are located in the corporate
headquarters in Boca Raton. Dennis and Patti reside in Boca Raton. Profile
on Sforza, and then bring us up to date. Over the next two to three
years, what do you see as the key opportunities and key
