On Wednesday, when 32-year-old Matthew Francis stepped on stage at the Jamaica Stock Exchange (JSE) Venture Capital Pitch Room, he carried a decade-long story of grit, reinvention, and a dream shaped by both failure and focus. By the time he stepped out, the judges had named his venture, Mood Restaurant & Bar, the winner of the competition, securing the top prize of $500,000.
The Pitch Room is a highlight of day one at the 2026 JSE Investors Conference, held over two days at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston.
Francis’ journey traces back to his years at The University of the West Indies, where he studied economics before dropping out to pursue entrepreneurship. His first venture — a candy company — collapsed quickly. “Reality hit fast,” he admitted. “I was so naïve, I didn’t know how to properly run a business,” he assessed.
Those failures, combined with experience across construction, facilities management and hospitality, pushed him towards the sector that eventually defined him. In fact, he finished his first degree with full training in hospitality and facilities management. “Hospitality…I prefer those rewards more than anything,” he said.
Mood Restaurant & Bar, based in Golden Spring, St Andrew, will open in March. It will take over the facilities of the Kingston Reggae Garden restaurant, Francis indicated. The property spans three acres, with curated lawns, tropical plants and a river running through it.
“It is a living masterpiece,” Francis told the judges.
Mood Restaurant & Bar falls under his company, Four Fran Enterprise — so named for the four individuals bearing the Francis surname who are involved. Only two, Matthew and his older brother Stephan, are actually related. “I can’t do it by myself,” he said. “Everybody here is fully ready and focused, and each is bringing something to the table,” he said of the four Frans.
Mood will be a brunch-themed, full-service, casual dining restaurant with 100 seats and weekend operating hours. Its core value proposition is built on the property’s ambience. “What we’re selling is a mood,” Francis said. “Our primary mood is serenity, thrill, happiness, togetherness, celebration.”
He underscored that the restaurant’s natural setting and social media-worthy presentation are its most potent competitive tools. The primary target market includes 25- to 45-year-olds with disposable income, alongside families, sports fans and event patrons. Projected average cheque size is $3,500 per customer, with expected annual revenue of $42.5 million, he said.
To make the concept viable in its semi-rural location, Francis intends to leverage farm-to-table sourcing, events, catering opportunities and heavy digital marketing — with 45 per cent of revenue reinvested in marketing alone.
With his systems, SOPs, capital expenditure budget and management structure already completed, Francis is eyeing an ambitious opening timeline. When asked how soon Mood could launch, he replied simply: “March.”
The Pitch Room featured six finalists, each offering a different solution or business model:
• 6th place: Counsel Flow Inc, a legal tech productivity platform.
• 5th place: Boss Holdings, a diversified agriculture and real estate venture.
• 4th place: Life Skills Education Ltd, developers of a trauma response school operating system.
• 3rd place: Steri Waste Management Ltd, focused on medical waste solutions.
• 2nd place: Lynchana Farms, led by Christopher Lynch, received the $100,000 second prize.
• 1st place: Mood Restaurant & Bar, led by Matthew Francis, the overall winner.
As he accepted his award, Francis stood as proof that setbacks can set the stage for growth. Mood Restaurant & Bar is now poised to translate his long-forged vision into a hospitality experience designed to excite, soothe and — above all — set the mood.
neville.graham@gleanerjm.com
