On this episode of The Sauce podcast, host Lauren Healey sits down with Aubrey co-owner Spencer Strode and team member Trey Stevenson to chat about the new hospitality-driven fine dining restaurant in Midtown. The conversation delves into how two former rivals became best friends and business partners, why every detail at Aubrey — from a folded napkin to a champagne toast — is built around making guests feel like VIPs, and what’s coming next as the restaurant heads into its first fall season.
Trey and Spencer walk through how they actually started out as rivals, working the same section at Cafe Napoli and quietly competing for tables before becoming inseparable — trading late-night phone calls about service long before Aubrey was ever a real plan.
They share how the concept came together with co-owner Marcus, why hospitality had to be just as important as the food, drinks, and ambiance, and the habits they carried over from Napoli’s legendary owner Tony, like anticipating a guest’s next need before they ever have to ask.
They also get into Aubrey’s approachable, not-fussy menu philosophy, the influence of friends like the team at Scouts, and how beverage director Gabriel Vespers has built out the wine and cocktail program.
Plus, the growing pains of opening a new restaurant — from soundproofing noise complaints to giving the basement bathroom (affectionately dubbed “the Dungeon”) a much-needed refresh — and why roughly half of Aubrey’s reservations are birthdays and anniversaries.
Trey and Spencer close things out with a look at what’s next for Aubrey, including plans for a new patio and a later-night lounge scene after the kitchen closes.
In this episode:
• From rival servers at Cafe Napoli to best friends and business partners behind Aubrey
• Aubrey’s hospitality-first philosophy: anticipating every guest’s need before they have to ask
• Growing pains and fixes: soundproofing noise complaints and giving “the Dungeon” bathroom a makeover
• Why half of Aubrey’s reservations are birthdays and anniversaries, plus what’s next with the new patio
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