Jeff Zalaznick Personality Type: ENTJ
Co-founder and Managing Partner, Major Food Group · The Commanding Visionary
Jeff Zalaznick, co-founder of Major Food Group, profiles as an ENTJ with execution focus of 94/100 against technical depth of 28/100, the lowest technical depth in this index. The operational record is the evidence: he has opened 77 restaurants and bars, of which 76 remain open and profitable, a survival rate almost unheard of in an industry where most restaurants close within five years.
Who is Jeff Zalaznick?
Jeff Zalaznick is the American restaurateur who co-founded Major Food Group with chefs Mario Carbone and Rich Torrisi, the hospitality company behind Carbone, Torrisi, The Grill and ZZ’s.
He appeared on the David Senra podcast on July 19, 2026.
What makes Jeff Zalaznick’s profile unusual?
Zalaznick offers the cleanest operational statistic in this index: 77 venues opened, 76 still trading profitably. Most profiles here are assessed on interpreted behaviour; his rests on a survival rate. The pairing that produces it is unusual, combining the lowest technical depth in the dataset (28) with an investment banking background, high execution focus (94) and high people orientation (82). He is the second restaurateur profiled here, alongside Todd Graves, and the two are near-opposites: Graves scaled one concept about a thousand times, Zalaznick built many distinct concepts and kept nearly all of them alive.
Jeff Zalaznick’s Big Five scores
| Openness | 78 | |
|---|---|---|
| Conscientiousness | 90 | |
| Extraversion | 82 | |
| Agreeableness | 55 | |
| Emotional Stability | 85 |
MBTI type ENTJ is derived from these Big Five scores, not assigned separately. See the methodology.
Jeff Zalaznick’s entrepreneurial traits
| Risk Tolerance | 82 | 0 vs median | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visionary Thinking | 82 | -6 vs median | |
| Execution Focus | 94 | +6 vs median | |
| People Orientation | 82 | +17 vs median | |
| Technical Depth | 28 | -43 vs median | |
| Sales Ability | 90 | +5 vs median | |
| Resilience | 85 | -3 vs median | |
| Creativity | 82 | -2 vs median | |
| Analytical Rigor | 85 | -3 vs median | |
| Work Intensity | 90 | +1 vs median |
What is the evidence for these scores?
Every score above is an inference from the public record. The specific evidence behind each one is listed here so it can be checked.
Execution Focus
The clearest operational statistic in this index: near-total venue survival.
“He has opened 77 restaurants and bars and 76 are still operating and profitable.”
Major Food Group, Jeff Zalaznick profile · 2026-08-17Analytical Rigor
Financial training preceded hospitality, and shaped the partnership structure.
A graduate of Cornell University, Zalaznick worked as an investment banker at J.P. Morgan and then as a manager at the Mandarin Oriental before becoming a restaurateur.
Major Food Group, Jeff Zalaznick profile · 2026-08-17Creativity
Built distinct concepts rather than replicating a single format.
Major Food Group was founded when chefs Rich Torrisi and Mario Carbone joined with Zalaznick, opening Carbone in March 2013; the group also operates Torrisi, The Grill, The Pool and ZZ’s, with Carbone now in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Riyadh, Hong Kong and Miami.
Wikipedia, "Major Food Group" · 2026-08-17
Strengths
- +A venue survival rate far above the industry norm across 77 openings
- +Pairing financial training with chef partners rather than trying to be both
- +Building distinct concepts rather than replicating one, then sustaining each
- +Extending a restaurant brand into hotels, clubs and branded residential
Structural risks
- −Lowest technical depth in this index in a sector increasingly mediated by software and delivery platforms
- −Multiple distinct concepts each carry their own operating risk, unlike a single replicated format
- −Luxury hospitality is highly exposed to discretionary spending cycles
- −Expansion into property and clubs moves the business away from its proven competence
Questions about Jeff Zalaznick’s personality
What is Jeff Zalaznick’s personality type?
On the Founder Mode framework, Jeff Zalaznick profiles as ENTJ, derived from a Big Five estimate of openness 78, conscientiousness 90, extraversion 82, agreeableness 55, emotional stability 85. His technical depth of 28 is the lowest in this index.
How many restaurants has Jeff Zalaznick opened?
Seventy-seven restaurants and bars, of which 76 are still operating and profitable. That survival rate is far above the industry norm and is the strongest single operational statistic in this index.
What did Jeff Zalaznick do before Major Food Group?
He graduated from Cornell University, worked as an investment banker at J.P. Morgan, and then managed at the Mandarin Oriental before partnering with chefs Mario Carbone and Rich Torrisi to build Major Food Group.
How do you compare to Jeff Zalaznick?
The assessment scores you on the same 10 traits and the same Big Five scale used on this page, so your results are directly comparable.
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