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Dennis Berkowitz is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Max's Restaurants, a restaurant group he established in 1978 and successfully led for more than 45 years. Under his leadership, Max's Restaurants, Opera Café, and Diners became iconic culinary institutions recognized for exceptional quality, consistency, and classic comfort food. Today, Dennis partners with his son, Bill Berkowitz, in operating Max's Kitchen and Kettle Cooking in Modesto, following more than four decades of operating Max's Commissary in San Francisco.Prior to founding Max's Restaurants, Dennis served as Executive Vice President of Hyatt Hotels, where he was instrumental in developing award-winning restaurant concepts that helped define Hyatt's national food and beverage identity. His contributions earned him a place on Hyatt's Wall of Fame at the company's headquarters in Chicago, an honor reserved for only a select few executives. During this period, Dennis was also named Foodservice Operator of the Year and received the prestigious Silver Plate Award in 1974, becoming the youngest recipient in the award's history.Before joining Hyatt, Dennis advanced rapidly through the hospitality industry. He held senior leadership roles at Hotel Corporation of America (now Sonesta Hotels) and later at Fairmont Hotels, where he became Executive Vice President at just 27 years old, an extraordinary achievement that underscored his operational expertise and leadership capabilities at an early age.Dennis's foundation in food service was established well before his executive career. Raised in a food-service family, he gained early, hands-on exposure through his father's coffee shops in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and later in Akron, Ohio, known as the Corned Beef Center. He further honed his operational and customer-centric expertise at respected Ohio institutions, including Iacomini's (now Papa Joe's) in Akron and the iconic Solomon's Delicatessen in Shaker Heights. These formative experiences shaped his enduring commitment to quality, tradition, and exceptional customer experience.While attending Michigan State University, Dennis participated in ROTC and served at Fort McNair as an Assistant Club Officer, further developing the discipline, structure, and leadership principles that would guide his professional career.Dennis resides in Northern California with his wife, Janice. Together, they raised three children, Lauren, Bill, and Russ, and are proud grandparents to eight grandchildren.Affectionately known as the ""Pastrami King,"" Dennis Berkowitz has served more Reubens over a lifetime than Stephen Curry has scored points, a testament to a career built on passion, precision, and an enduring commitment to excellence.
