Justin Shipley, Newly Named Executive Chef at Arlington Convention Center, Realizes Dream
Justin Shipley knew from a young age he wanted to become an executive chef. Now after years of experience at Dallas-Fort Worth area restaurants and hotels, Shipley has realized his dream as the newly announced Executive Chef at the Arlington Convention Center.
Shipley graduated in 2004 from The Art Institute of Dallas, where he studied culinary arts. He went on to learn alongside experienced chefs at The Four Seasons Las Colinas, which was invaluable as he later learned to balance running a restuarant and hotel simultaneously as the Sous Chef of Shula's 347 Grill.
Along the way, Shipley held a yearlong externship at the Arlington Convention Center. As with most internships, the biggest takeaway was that in this industry, nothing is given to you.
"You have to earn and work hard, every day for what you want," Shipley said.
When the opportunity came along to work for his beloved Mavericks and Stars, Shipley moved on to become the Executive Sous Chef for American Airlines Center. It was there Shipley's expertise grew, with oversight of every aspect of food service in the suites department. Quickly thrown into arena food service and large-scale events, Shipley made great memories serving events like the Kentucky Derby, NBA All-Star Game, NBA Finals, and US Open.
Coming full-circle, Shipley recently took the role of Executive Chef for Levy Restaurants, which is the exclusive food and beverage vendor of the Arlington Convention Center. Bringing with him a vast array of experiences, the biggest thing Shipley said he's looking forward to is leaving his mark on the guest experience in Arlington.
"There's a Levy way in how things are seen and presented. I want the guest to experience what Levy and myself are capable of by bringing a higher standard of food quality and consistency while elevating service," Shipley said.
The Arlington Convention Center offers full service event planning and catering for events as intimate as 50 guest and as extravagant as 1,800 guests.
Arlington Convention Center
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