In 1991 Denise Korn had just relocated to Boston and tried to get Dan Mathieu to hire her to train as a pastry chef in his bakery in Boston’s South End. His advice was to stick to her lane and stay true to her passion for design. When Korn hung its shingle in 1992, Dan Mathieu – the wildly creative mind behind so many magical culinary adventures – became one of our first clients and the rest is history.

The ToGo Bakery was one of our very first projects, followed by Hooch & Holly’s in Ogunquit, Maine (1997), FLUX in Boston’s South End (2002) and then the birth of MAX Ultimate Food (2001) that continues to thrive all over New England. Mix in Dan’s incredibly philanthropic dedication to community and Kid’s Can Cook (1997), shined brightly for young chefs across the city.

Every project was very personal for Dan, as are his relationships with each of his team members, clients and partners. His passion for art and making things evolved in parallel with the revolution he has been cooking up at every turn. An avid gardener, woodworker, painter, tinkerer, crafter and visionary, Dan pulls from all around him to find inspiration and ideas for what he’s serving and the environments he creates to surround each experience and inspiring Korn to weave this into each brand’s texture and personality.

Today, nature, artfulness and humanity are at the core of the MAX Ultimate Food chapter. Alongside partner Neal Balkowitsch, since its inception, we can’t wait to see what’s in store at each MAX event!

We are excited to share 25 pivotal projects, partnerships and creative moments with you over the next six months. Subscribe to our Newsletter to get monthly updates of our 25 years of projects. Follow us on Instagram to see more behind the scenes at Korn over the last 25 years!