Value Over Price: Breaking Through with New Experiences, AI and Brand Innovation
As Hong Kong’s dining scene faces the surge of northbound spending and rapidly evolving consumer habits, Maxim’s Group — a brand that has grown alongside Hong Kong people for 70 years — is responding through transformation rather than price competition. The Group is reinventing the dining experience through new consumer experiences, digital transformation and sustainable development.
“We are not competing on price — we are competing on value.” said Emmy Kan, Chief Operating Officer, Hong Kong and Macau of Maxim’s Group. “Demand for dining in Hong Kong remains resilient. What has changed is customers’ expectations around dining occasions, spending priorities and experiences. If the experience is compelling enough, Hong Kong consumers are still very willing to spend locally.”
Today, Maxim’s operates a portfolio of more than 80 homegrown and internationally renowned brands, with a footprint extending across mainland China and several Southeast Asian cities. Its mooncakes are sold in more than 300 cities worldwide, bringing diverse dining experiences to consumers across occasions and markets.
More Than Yum Cha: Reinventing Chinese Dining Culture
In response to shifting market dynamics and changing consumer preferences, Maxim’s continues to evolve, with a strong focus on creating fresh and engaging experiences for customers at every touchpoint. “As experiential consumption gains momentum, we are actively creating new experiences for consumers and developing distinctive brand concepts,” Emmy said. “Our goal is simple: to offer dining experiences that deliver real value to customers across different spending levels.”
The newly opened Maxim’s Palace at MOKO exemplifies the vision. No longer positioned solely as a traditional Chinese restaurant, it has evolved into a vibrant cultural destination that blends authentic Hong Kong cuisine with engaging, experience-driven offerings.
Moving away from the traditional large-scale banquet-style restaurant model, the restaurant now features family-friendly table configurations, special dessert stations, children’s menus, traditional dim sum trolley, freshly roasted suckling pig experiences. Among the most popular additions is the Maxim’s Dim Sum Workshop, where customers can make dim sum by hand and learn about Hong Kong’s yum cha culture — an experience that has attracted families, student groups and visitors alike.
Jade Garden, another flagship brand under the Group, will soon launch its first packaged frozen dim sum series in Hong Kong in September, with products available in supermarkets and mainland e-commerce platforms. The debut range includes shaomai, golden lava bun, lipu taro lava bun, and black sesame lava bun. Emmy shared, “This initiative not only helps preserve and promote Hong Kong’s culinary heritage, but also enables consumers seeking quality, taste and convenience to enjoy premium dim sum anytime and anywhere.” Looking ahead, Maxim’s plans to take Hong Kong’s iconic dim sum culture global — expanding into overseas markets such as Southeast Asia, North America and Australia.
Food safety and quality are core to Maxim’s operating standards. Since 2015, the Group has been recognised under GS1 Hong Kong’s Quality Food Scheme and leveraged the “Quality Food Scheme+” assessment framework to strengthen food safety, quality management and traceability, building consumer trust through credible and transparent practices while driving continuous improvement.
AI and Experience in Parallel: Tech in the Kitchen, Warmth at the Table
Facing industry-wide challenges in manpower, efficiency, quality and consistency, Maxim’s has steadily advanced its digital transformation. From food production to frontline operations, the Group is leveraging IoT, big data and artificial intelligence to enhance efficiency across the business.
On the frontline, digital ordering, e-queuing and membership platforms help streamline the customer journey, while automation supports repetitive tasks and improves efficiency. Emmy said, “Hospitality will always be a people business. Technology is not here to reduce human interaction, but to make service more efficient, and the overall experience smoother and more enjoyable. Our focus is clear: technology enhances efficiency, while our people create the experience. When customers need assistance, product recommendations or personalised service, the attentiveness, communication and genuine care of our frontline colleagues remain irreplaceable.”
In festive food production, Maxim’s continues to invest in advanced manufacturing technologies and smart factory capabilities. In mooncake production, for example, the Group has introduced a “visual recognition” identification system that automatically sorts mooncakes into tunnel ovens with different temperature settings based on their shape and size. A “Robotic Egg Wash Brushing Arm” further enhances the process by adjusting brushing parameters according to each product’s height, size and filling, replicating the pressure and angle of manual brushing to achieve more consistent colouring. This replaces a process that previously required around 20 workers to support three production lines.
COVA, one of the Group’s brands, implemented GS1 HK’s Smart Operations solution several years ago. Through IoT sensors and digitalised management systems, it monitors production environments, energy consumption and equipment performance in real time. Standard operating procedures and electronic records have been also established to improve process transparency and traceability. These measures enable more effective monitoring of raw material usage, production progress, quality control and equipment performance, while helping teams identify improvement opportunities early and reduce unnecessary food waste and energy consumption.
From Food Rescue to Carbon Reduction
For Maxim’s, sustainability is woven into every stage of the business — from product development and day-to-day operations to sourcing. Emmy explained, “We encourage our chefs to create new recipes that maximise ingredient utilisation, turning them into refined and delicious ‘zero-waste’ dishes across our Chinese, Western and Japanese restaurants, as well as Maxim’s Cakes. At the sourcing stage, we pursue more responsible procurement by prioritising local and seasonal ingredients, supporting local agriculture while reducing the carbon emissions associated with long-distance transportation.”
Over the past year, the Group rescued around 3,400 kilograms of surplus ingredients through its targeted food-cherishing initiatives and green dining promotions. It also launched “All You Can Cook!” Campaign, inviting employees to create tasty dishes using surplus ingredients.
To advance its carbon reduction efforts, the Group has introduced green operating guidelines, including staff training, the adoption of
energy-efficient stoves and appliances, and the exploration of renewable energy solutions. They have also worked closely with industry partners, contributing to the development and implementation of “BEAM Plus Food & Beverage (F&B) Version 1.0”.
Emmy emphasized, “Sustainability is not a slogan. Meaningful ESG progress requires active collaboration across the value chain and support from the wider ecosystem. We collect carbon emissions data in line with international frameworks, covering Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions across different regions accurately. Looking ahead, we intend to disclose this information through voluntary public reporting, reinforcing transparency and accountability to all stakeholders.”
Emmy adds that “Go Digital” and “Go Green” are not two separate choices — they go hand in hand. Beyond generating commercial returns, businesses must create lasting value for customers, society, and the environment.
Celebrating 70 Years by Giving Back to the Community
As Maxim’s Group marks its 70th anniversary, the company is celebrating the milestone together with the Hong Kong community. To commemorate the occasion, the Group has launched a series of customer engagement initiatives, dining privileges and curated brand experiences. Through food rewards, festive products, special menus and lucky draws, Maxim’s appreciates the customers, employees and partners who have been part of its journey. From July to August, more than 30 of its brands are offering dining promotions worth over HK$1 million in total.
In addition, their “Eatizen” app now serves more than 1.8 million members, leveraging big data and artificial intelligence to analyse customer preferences, spending patterns and dining habits to deliver personalised offers and tailored experiences. In the future, it will further strengthen engagement with consumers in the mainland China market and gradually expand into Southeast Asia.
Driven by a deep commitment to giving back, Maxim’s continues to champion its “GENTLEMEAL” initiative for the elderly and individuals with swallowing difficulties. These specially crafted dishes carefully balance safety, nutrition, flavour, and presentation — restoring dignity at the table and fulfilling the simple pleasure of “Dine Together Again”. Following the introduction of soft-meal versions of the Individual Abalone and Sea Cucumber Poon Choi and the Double Happiness Longevity Peach Buns, the Soft-Meal Hong Kong MX Mooncakes will soon follow.
Looking ahead, Emmy sees strong potential in several areas: value-driven everyday dining, experiential dining concepts, healthy and sustainable food, function-oriented diets, and the silver market. “We remain cautiously optimistic about Hong Kong’s market in the second half of the year,” she said. “While external uncertainties remain, the gradual recovery in tourism, footfall and consumer confidence is expected to support the food and food service sectors. Our principle is clear: stay true to the core identity of our brands while continuing to innovate in response to evolving consumer needs and market dynamics.”
