Most restaurants have some form of reasoning behind their name if not named after the founder. Maggiano’s is a little unique in that it was named in memory of someone. It was that part of their story that stayed with me the most. Richard Melman, the founder, had a dear friend and business partner, Marvin Magid. Marvin, 41 married in 1987 and while honeymooning in Hawaii, died in a helicopter crash. The helicopter he and his wife, Marie were in had crashed into the water and not being able to swim, Marvin drowned. His wife couldn’t swim either but was able to survive by clinging to some debris. the restaurant carries the name and memory of Richard’s dear friend.
General Restaurant Information
Food Type: Italian & Pizza
Restaurant Type: Casual Dining
U.S. Locations: 52
States: 23 states, Maggiano’s Locations
Company Slogan: It’s All About Family And Great Food
Contact Information
Website: maggianos.com
Questions: Contact Information
Phone number: 800-983-4637
Email: Contact Form Only
Blog: Maggiano’s Blog
FAQ Page: No
Ownership
Who Owns Maggiano’s? Brinker International
Headquartered: Dallas, Texas
Contact Information:
Website: brinker.com/
Email/contact page: Brinker Contact Information
Phone: 972-980-9917
Address: 6820 LBJ Freeway, Dallas, TX 75240
Do They Franchise? Franchise Information
What Is It Like To Work At Maggiano’s?
3.8/5 or 76%; 519 Reviews (indeed.com)
3.3/5, or 66%; 360 Reviews (glassdoor.com)
What to expect when working at Maggiano’s (job-applications.com)
The History of Maggiano’s
Original Location: 516 N Clark Street (corner of Grand Avenue), Chicago, IL
Founded: November 11, 1991
Founded By: Richard Melman
Biography Articles:
Rich Melman (wikipedia.org) (leye.com) (starchefs.com)
What happens to Lettuce Entertain You without Rich Melman? (chicagobusiness.com)
Rich Melman Looks Back At 40 Years of Lettuce Entertain You (chicago.eater.com)
The Legend Of Rich Melman: Founder Of Lettuce Entertain You (chicagonow.com)
Founder Obituary: Still Living
Name Origin: Melman had a friend and business partner, Marvin Magid who was killed at 41 in a helicopter crash on his honeymoon in 1987. The restaurant was named after his friend.
History Page: Company History Page
Current View of Original Location: 516 N Clark Street as it is today (link may not work on mobile devices without Google Maps)
Historical Articles:
Maggianos – Our Story (maggianos.com)
Social Awareness
Charity Focus: Partners with Make a Wish
Green | Eco-Friendly: No resources found
Animal Cruelty: Maggiano’s Switching to 100% gestation crate-free pork (cafefreefuture.com)
Discounts At Maggiano’s
Rewards Program: Reward Program
Do Kids Eat Free at Maggiano’s?
What day do kids eat free? Saturday
Summary: Kids, 5 and under, eat free on Saturday’s.
“Kids 5 and under eat free all day” (pennypinchinmom.com)
“Kids under 5 eat free all day on Saturday” (bradsdeals.com)
Do They Offer Military Discounts?
Summary: No resources were found regarding military or Veteran’s Day discounts at Maggiano’s
What Does Maggiano’s offer for My Birthday!?
Summary: When you sign up for their eClub, they will give you a $10 certificate for your birthday!
Does the Chain Offer First Responder Discounts?
Summary: No resources were found regarding first responder discounts
Does the Restaurant Offer Senior Citizen | AARP Discounts?
Summary: No resources were found regarding senior citizen or AARP discounts
Are There Any Other Discounts or Benefits?
Summary: When you sign up for Magiano’s eClub, you receive $10 off your next visit and are eligible to receive various discounts and promotions throughout the year.
Amenities
Order Online: Online Order
WiFi Available: Yes
Use Apple Pay: No
Reservations: Yes
Catering: Magiano’s Catering
Drive-Thru: No
Open 24 Hours: No
Customer Reviews of Maggiano’s
Yelp: 3.7/5 or 75%, 11,351 reviews sampled
Tripadvisor: 4.4/5 or 88%, 8,467 reviews sampled
Overall Average: 4.03/5 or 81%, 19,818 reviews sampled
Maggiano's & Related Items on Amazon
Food & Nutrition
Menu: Maggiano’s Menu
Kids Menu: Maggiano’s Kids Menu
Secret Menu: No resources found
Most Popular Menu Item: Mom’s Lasagna
Coke or Pepsi: Coke
Does Maggiano’s Serve Alcohol: Yes
Nutritional Information: Maggiano’s Nutrition Guide
Vegetarian | Vegan Options:
145 Vegan Chain Restaurant Menus Every Vegan Needs to Know (#32) (urbantastebud.com)
Farm to Table | Organic Options | Clean | Non-GMO: No resources were found regarding clean eating.
Miscellaneous Nutrition Resources:
The #1 Healthiest Menu Option at 40 Popular Restaurants #12 (eatthis.com)
Nutrition Information (livestrong.com)
Nutritional Information (fatsecret.com)
What’s Healthy And What’s Not At Italian Chain Restaurants (npr.org)
Maggiano’s Menu (rise.us)
Allergy Information
Allergen Information: Allergen Guide
Gluten Free Options: No resources were found regarding gluten-free eating
Dairy Free Options:
Dairy Free Options (godairyfree.org)
Restaurant Guide For Dairy-Free Dining (godairyfree.org)
Peanut Free Options:
Peanut & Allergy Information (maggianos.com)
Food Allergy Guides For Many Chain Restaurants (verywellhealth.com)
Ways to Eliminate Risks of Peanut Allergy When Dining Out (healthguidance.org)
Does Maggiano’s Have Any Secret Recipes?
Secret Recipes:
Chopped Salad (copykat.com)
House Salad (geniuskitchen.com)
Meatballs (copykat.com)
Fettuccine Alfredo (allrecipes.com)
Miscellaneous (allrestaurantrecipes.com)
Did You Know?
Fun Facts:
Richard Melman received the “Restaurateur of the Year” award in 2011. The award is the equivalent to the Oscar in the restaurant business. (abc7chicago.com)
The restaurant was started by Lettuce Entertain You (founded by Melman) and owns a number of different restaurants. See here for a complete list.
The consulting portion of Lettuce Entertain You has served such restaurants as McDonald’s, Chart House and was very involved in the development of Popeye’s Cajun Kitchen
Interesting Articles:
A look at Maggiano’s brunch menu (nrn.com)
How the chain dropped calories, kept flavor on its menu (nrn.com)
Executive Chefs (maggianos.com)
A New Menu Revitalizes Maggiano’s Little Italy (foodnewsfeed.com)
Maggiano's & Related Items on Amazon
Social Media
Followers (as of September 2018) –
Facebook: 28
Twitter: 35,200
Instagram: 18,100
Mobile Apps
No Mobile Apps
Alternatives
Better Options: Coming Soon
Similar Restaurants: Pizza Hut, Villa Italian Kitchen
In Summary
The original Maggiano’s in Chicago looks like something out of a Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan movie. The restaurant name has more meaning to it than most and represents not only a business partnership but more a friendship between Richard and Marvin. In looking for a date night restaurant, the restaurant may be a great (romantic) option. The reviews of their restaurants usually are very positive, and they offer a good quality Italian menu. When you have consistent positive reviews, it increases the likelihood of a memorable evening. If you are a family with young children looking for a good restaurant choice, you may want to keep looking.
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