Audrey Lustre

Owner 

Audrey was born in the Philippines and moved to California as a young girl. Her family opened a fine west coast restaurant, and Audrey’s ambition was born. Swept away by the bustle and excitement of a busy kitchen, Audrey was equally enamored with the front end of the restaurant business. She vividly remembers seeing one specific dish – fried ice cream – and its mind-boggling presentation over an open flame as the moment she fell in love with the strange beauty of food. “I thought they were the smartest people in the world,” she says, “and I wanted to do that.” The desire to be her own boss combined with the innate pleasure in serving and feeding people fueled a lifelong desire to open her own restaurant. After attending Catholic University and working as a New York City accountant for three years, Audrey knew it was time to answer that calling. She moved here in 1997 and opened Joe Java Coffee at the Shops at Fair Lakes, serving up coffee, sandwiches, pastries, and other light fare. But with growing competition from two local Starbucks, and an encouraging idea from a faithful client at Ellucian, Audrey turned her sights to catering. The next year, she revised her business plan. Keeping her sandwich shop storefront, she began cold calling and sending samples to local corporations, encouraging them to hire Silver Spoon Caterers for corporate events. Soon, employees from Boeing, Avaya, GD, and elsewhere in Northern Virginia came calling. By 2005, her business had tripled. Two years ago, Silver Spoon moved to the large, renovated facility it occupies now at 12450 Fair Lakes Circle.