 | |
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Restaurant |
| Founded | 1972 |
| Headquarters | |
Key people | Todd Barnum and Barry Zacks (co-founders) |
| Parent | Glacier Restaurant Group |
| Website | www.maxandermas.com |
Max & Erma's is an American casual dining restaurant chain based in Columbus, Ohio. As of April 2024 [update] , the company operates seven locations in Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, down from a peak of 110 restaurants across more than 12 states in the mid-2000s. [1] It was founded in 1972 by Todd Barnum and Barry Zacks. The two businessmen purchased a local tavern in Columbus's German Village which had been operated by Max and Erma Visocnik since 1958; Erma died in 1977, and Max died in 1995. [2] Barnum and Zacks retained the Max & Erma's name and created the theme restaurant, which featured a converted bathtub serving as a sundae bar. [3]
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Max & Erma's was purchased by Pittsburgh-based equity investor G&R Acquisition Inc. in a $10.2 million deal in April 2008. [4] The company declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy on October 26, 2009. [5] It was acquired by American Blue Ribbon Holdings, owners of the Village Inn and Bakers Square restaurant chains, in 2010.[ citation needed ]
On January 25, 2016, it was announced that Glacier Restaurant Group had purchased Max & Erma's from American Blue Ribbon Holdings. The sale followed the closure of 19 of the restaurant's locations that were described as underperforming. [6]
On July 28, 2017, Glacier announced that the original German Village Max & Erma's location would close on August 7, 2017, citing a lack of financial viability. [2]
