Ingrid and Carrie opened their first restaurant, called the Lightfoot Cafe in 1992. But success outran its 60 seating capacity, and the sisters began renovation of the People's Bank Building in 1997, opening the doors of The Lightfoot Restaurant in 1999, with a 349 seating capacity.

Carrie Gustavson Whitmer
General Manager

Carrie attended the University of San Francisco with a major in business and a minor in Restaurant and Hotel Management and Sales. During her summer vacations, Carrie gained experience from some of the industry's greatest learning opportunities, including the Westin St. Francis in San Francisco and the Royal Viking Cruise Line.

After completing the management-training program with the Marriott Corporation, Carrie spent a year at the Hong Kong Hilton as a corporate sales executive. She returned to her Washington roots as a sales manager at the Capital Hilton. When Ingrid's catering business exploded and Carrie, then at the Capital Hilton, pitched in to help with events and deliveries and the sisters' partnership blossomed.

Ingrid L. Gustavson
Executive Chef

Ingrid , Executive Chef at The Lightfoot Restaurant in Leesburg, Virginia, has been in the food business for years, but her creative experiences with food date back to childhood. As the star of her Annandale high school culinary program, Ingrid won awards for Best Culinary Student and Most Likely to Succeed. After high school, Ingrid attended CIA, Culinary Institute of America, the training ground for some of America's leading chefs, and graduated in 1990. After an externship at Ridgewell's Caterers in Bethesda, Maryland, Ingrid began her own catering business from her house..

In 1992, Ingrid and Carrie opened the Lightfoot Cafe and word spread quickly of Ingrid's exquisitely prepared meals.