Building Better Systems for a Better Industry
A Conversation with Matt Jennings, Founder of MAJC
For Matt Jennings, hospitality is more than an industry. It is a lifelong calling that began at 14 years old behind a dish pit in Boston and evolved into a three-decade career spanning restaurants, entrepreneurship, and leadership.
“The reward is in the work,” Matt says, and that philosophy runs deep through everything he builds. After years of running successful establishments and consulting across the globe, Matt launched MAJC, a technology and community platform designed to empower hospitality professionals with the tools, resources, and insights they need to thrive.
At its core, MAJC is a solution-driven ecosystem for the people who make the industry run. It’s a space to share best practices, access HR and finance expertise, and build data-informed systems that support sustainability and profitability. But it’s also about something more human: creating a space for connection, mentorship, and collaboration among operators, owners, and managers worldwide.
“I was fortunate enough to have incredible mentors early on,” Matt reflects. “Those chefs who took me under their wing were the catalyst for my growth. My life’s work now is to perpetuate that coaching and leadership model for the next generation.”
For Jennings, every challenge in hospitality is an opportunity. Instead of focusing on what is broken, MAJC focuses on building what is next: smarter recruitment, stronger retention, and the kind of leadership that turns stress into strategy.
“Operators are the key,” he says. “We need a single point of origin where we can all share, troubleshoot, and celebrate our wins together. Siloed workflows don’t work anymore. The rising tide raises all boats.”
Looking forward, MAJC is still in its early stages, but already collaborating with domain experts across human resources, finance, mental health, and sustainability. Matt envisions a future where every hospitality professional has access to the kind of knowledge and support he once had to build alone.
His dream for the industry is fierce collaboration, systems of support, organizational empathy, and, perhaps most importantly, a community that does not just serve others but finally learns how to serve itself.
Still, Rachel persists. For her, this is more than yoga; it’s a reimagining of what after-hours can look like in hospitality. A future where workers can stretch, breathe, and reset instead of numbing out. A future where thriving and healing aren’t luxuries, but norms.
Looking ahead, Rachel hopes to expand SIN Yin’s programming across the country, uplifting other late-night health services to create a network of holistic options for workers who often feel forgotten. She also dreams of empowering workers themselves to teach yoga, building both a new source of income and a more diverse, equitable culture within the wellness world.
Quickfire with Rachel Brooks
Your name:
Matt Jennings
Your organization name (If applicable):
MAJC, The Community For Hospitality Professionals
In one sentence, what do you or your organization do?
At MAJC, we empower hospitality professionals all over the world by providing tools, resources and insights to build better teams, implement functional systems and enhance profitability.
Let’s start with your journey—where did you grow up, what shaped you, and what are some defining moments in your career so far?
I started working in a restaurant as a dishwasher when I was 14 and never looked back. A native of Boston, I have have worked in hospitality for over 30 years. The industry has allowed me the chance to travel the world, work with an incredible cadre of chefs and entrepreneurs, open my own successful establishments, launch a consulting firm and build technology to support the industry.
What made you choose the food and beverage industry? Was there a moment or experience that made it clear this was your path?
I was fortunate enough to have some incredible mentors early on. These chefs who took me under their wing, ended up being the catalyst for my growth in the industry. My life’s work is now to perpetuate the coaching and leadership model with the next generation of culinarian.
What were the biggest challenges you faced when starting to work on this mission?
No day goes by when this industry isn’t faced with challenges. The reward is in the work. Connecting with hospitality professionals all over the world to help support them in their endeavors is my life blood and is what fuels MAJC – my technology and software company. Enabling others’ growth and creating a playbook for success is an evolutionary goal, and every week we are finding new ways to enhance the careers of developing restauranteurs.
In your opinion, what are the biggest problems in the industry?
I don’t like the word ‘problem’. I see problems as opportunities. MAJC is a solutions based company, so every ‘problem’ is viewed through the prism of solution- how can we adapt, be nimble and influence better decisions in the moment. At the top of our emerging solutions are helping aid in recruitment, retention and development – easily our industry’s greatest opportunity.
What other pressing issues do you identify beyond the one you or your organization are addressing?
Globalization, cost of goods, mental health, sustainability – the list goes on and on. MAJC aims to be the single point of origin for operators, owners and managers to connect, feel supported, and grow together.
What actions or initiatives have you implemented to create a positive impact in the industry? Could you share a concrete example or a specific number that reflects that impact?
What are your future plans to continue contributing to the well-being of the sector?
MAJC is in it’s infancy. We are collaborating with an incredible list of partners to bring deep added value to our community app – Human Resources domain experts, Finance experts, mental health experts, sustainability experts – MAJC has been built from the recognition that I didn’t have access to the best practices and insights on how to run a responsible business when I owned my own restaurants. Had I had something like MAJC to help support me, my operational acumen would have been years beyond that of my peers.
Who do you believe are the key players in building a more humane and sustainable industry? (Government, customers, insurance companies, etc.)
Operators. We live in an age where siloed workflows don’t work anymore. We need a single point of origin where we can all share, troubleshoot, and celebrate our wins TOGETHER. Strength in numbers. The ‘rising tide raises all boats’ – and the fierce camaraderie in this business is unlike any other I have experienced. It is now time to forge a nexus of knowledge that the average operator can tap in to, to empower their mission and career.
From an operational perspective, what would the ideal restaurant scenario look like for you?
I don’t know what this question means.
What’s your dream for the future of this industry?
Fierce collaboration. Systems of support. Data centric decision making. Organizational empathy.
What are some long-term impacts you hope to have in the F&B industry?
See above.
What advice would you give to others who are looking to start a non-profit or initiative to help the restaurant industry?
Don’t do it. Instead, get involved with the best organizations that are out there. Independent Restaurant Coalition. Southern Smoke Foundation. MAJC. Attach yourself to existing networks and organizations that are leading the way and who have access to foundational change. We don’t need more non-profits. We need folks to ENGAGE and go deeper. Bifurcation of initiatives does not help the industry. Simply get involved in your existing community.