“Laissez le bon temps rouler.” That’s French for “Let the good times roll.” And it’s printed on Justin’s name tag at The Reserve. “I like to say this every time we gather with friends and family, just to remember why we are here,” he says.

For him, it’s an ongoing call to excellence. “I believe we at The Reserve, we have a great opportunity to really change the industry and showcase what can be done in fine dining inside a retirement community.” Justin’s career in fine dining began in Lake Charles, Louisiana, as did his love of working with the freshest ingredients. He is even more driven today to exceed expectations at every turn.

“My vision is to be a coach to all our team members at The Reserve, bringing a new level of quality and service.”

Justin was part of the culinary team that opened Golden Nugget Lake Charles in December 2014. After progressing through several of the award-winning food venues on the property, East became Executive Chef at Vic & Anthony's Steakhouse, where he manages the daily operations and staff at Vic & Anthony's, Chart House and Cadillac Mexican Kitchen & Tequila Bar.

Named "Best Local Chef" in the 2017 Best of SWLA, Chef Justin represented Southwest Louisiana at the Louisiana Seafood Board receptions and travelled to New York City as part of the 2017 Louisiana Culinary Trails Public Relations Mission.

Justin grew up near the Gulf in Hackberry, Louisiana, and graduated from SOWELA Technical Community College’s culinary program. And everyone at The Reserve is very glad he’s here!