Our Story
In 1972, Todd Barnum and Barry Zacks walked into a sleepy little bar owned by a couple named Max and Erma. Todd and Barry offered to buy the place and sealed the deal with a handshake. They had a vision of bringing a gourmet hamburger restaurant to Columbus, Ohio. After renovating and decorating the restaurant with artifacts and local paraphernalia, Barry and Todd made Max & Erma’s a fun, unique place to take friends and family. Since that day, our guests consistently tell us that our all-American food, friendly service and atmosphere are the reasons they keep returning to Max & Erma’s. We’ve grown over the years, but remain true to what made us successful—delivering a great guest experience.
We believe that a great experience starts with our food. That’s why we use the freshest, highest quality ingredients in everything we serve. Freshness and quality are truly the foundations upon which Max & Erma's was built. We make every effort to do things the right way, not the easy way. We believe this dedication and passion is the reason we're better and the reason our guests return more often. Our market research tells us that our guests know what they are going to order before they get to our restaurant because they crave certain items, our signature dishes. Many guest favorites include our delicious chocolate chip cookies, Tomato Mozzarella Chicken Sandwich, Shrimp Stack Salad, Cajun Shrimp & Pasta, Laredo Steak, Santa Fe Salad, Buffalo Chicken Sandwich, hand-battered Onion rings and our famous gourmet hamburgers.
This passion over our customer dining experience is one of the reasons Max & Erma’s has become known as one of the top restaurant companies in the United States.
