At age 14, after getting into some trouble, Justin Adrian moved to Texas to work under his uncle, Master Chef Michael Scott.
Given a flimsy aluminum vegetable peeler, a small counter at the back of the kitchen, and 150 pounds of carrots and potatoes, Justin's initiation into the restaurant business was not for the faint-hearted. It took several hours to peel and chop; the peeler broke, and he had blisters on his hands. Once done, his uncle picked up the veggies, walked out the back of the restaurant, and dumped them in the dumpster. Justin spent the next two weeks working to pay them off. This might sound harsh, but anyone who has spent significant time working in restaurant kitchens has experienced something similar. It was Justin’s initiation into the restaurant tribe. “I was a punk kid with a bad attitude; he wanted me to get a taste of what to expect,” he says. “After that, it was game-on.” And game-on it has been. Justin is now the president of operations at locally owned restaurant group Vibe Concepts. Vibe’s owner, Lone Tree resident Dan Shipp, with brothers John and Mike, purchased DU hang-out Spanky’s Roadhouse in the mid-90s. There, they built Vibe’s founding principles: customer service, quality, and community.
Vibe now owns and operates Roadhouse restaurants in Boulder, Keystone, Beaver Creek, and Reivers in Wash Park. Their portfolio includes T-Street Restaurants in Lakewood and Aurora, and The Great Divide Brewery and Roadhouse in Castle Rock and Lone Tree. After his formative experience in Texas, Justin returned to the Denver area. He balanced a 40-hour workweek at the old Bisetti’s in Highlands Ranch with living independently and graduated from ThunderRidge High School. His post-high school years included stints under renowned chefs in Texas, California, and the Virgin Islands. Justin joined the Vibe family as the executive chef at the now-closed Hodson’s, moved into a general manager position, then Vibe culinary development, and now oversees all 11 restaurants. With his coifed mohawk and tattoos, Justin is an executive for the 21st century. You won't find him confined behind a desk or in a three-piece suit. If you ask for his business card, he’ll offer an e-card.
Justin’s story is both typical and unique. Restaurant kitchens often draw those looking for a non-conventional path for a multitude of reasons. One quality shared among most restaurant people is the ability to thrive among the chaos and the thrill of an adrenaline rush. “The synergy is fast and fun, constantly meeting new people, new energy, and new relationships,” Justin says, accurate for the servers, the kitchen workers, and the executives. “Every day that goes by, I get a new grey hair on my head. I still love it.” He attributes the marriage of his passion for people and his love of food as what differentiated him coming up in the restaurant business.
“Entertaining, bringing people joy through food, atmosphere, culture, music, vibes, and setting . . . I’ve been blessed to work under talented chefs, and I want to bring that here.”
He and the Vibe team are constantly working on building people up in the industry, creating longevity and retention, and making this a viable career path for the people he works with. Media hype surrounds restaurant work, as evidenced by the likes of Anthony Bourdain, Gordon Ramsay and other celebrity chefs. The glorification and easy entry draw many young people to the industry. But the physically demanding work and grueling hours are lost in those portrayals. Justin strives to give his employees a safe space and a healthy environment.
Justin sat on The Angel Relief Fund Executive Committee and was honored to participate with other industry leaders to provide a resource for financial stability for industry workers. A function of the Colorado Restaurant Association, it grew from the growing need for addiction-related treatment during COVID-19. He also served as VP of Health and Wellness for the Colorado Restaurant Association Foundation. Time off for Justin isn’t running from the chaos but toward it. He skydives more than 100 times a year, rides motorcycles and snowboards, and has recently started rock climbing. Sleep isn't a priority for him; he is grabbing all he can from life. Justin’s advice to young professionals entering the industry is simple yet profound: hard work pays off. He encourages them to stick with it, choose a dedicated team that hustles, and find mentors willing to share their knowledge. Justin himself is driven by the desire to be one of those mentors, a testament to the value of perseverance in this challenging yet rewarding field.
Entertaining, bringing people joy through food, atmosphere, culture, music, vibes and setting…
He isn’t running from the chaos, but towards it.