Shallal chose this primarily residential Virginia neighborhood because of its proximity to DC, but more importantly because of the enthusiasm that the developers of new construction in the area expressed for the Busboys franchise. A prime example of this is the Shirlington location that opened in 2007. That said, landlords of developments near Busboys have told Shallal that they use Busboys and Poets to promote their projects. “I think the idea of growing the city in a way that doesn’t have any connection with its roots or past is sort of short-sighted.” “In the past few years, you have seen this sort of logarithmic change that has taken place, and I think much of it has been over zealous,” Shallal told UrbanTurf. Being active in the communities where Busboys has opened and reaching out to neighborhood leaders and city officials have been key parts of this effort. Where he makes his distinction is in a deliberate effort to mitigate the negative impact of development and make sure it doesn’t get out of hand. “After we opened, I saw a marked increase in foot traffic,” Shallal said, “Many people selling condos in the area started including Busboys and Poets in their sales pitches, and our name is regularly mentioned on Craigslist ads and other promotions around town.”Īlthough he decries many of the negative aspects of gentrification, particularly the higher prices and property taxes that come with it, Shallal sees himself as part of the process. The restaurant and event space, whose name is an homage to poet Langston Hughes who was a busboy at the Wardman Park Hotel in the thirties, brought new life to this corner of the U Street Corridor. Shallal, a DC resident for over 40 years, opened his first outpost of Busboys and Poets on 14th and V Streets in 2005. The overall vibe is progressive, artistic, young, and urban. During the election season, local artists’ renderings of Barack Obama’s visage decorated the walls. There is a small bookstore with a decidedly left-leaning selection, and a venue for music shows and poetry slams. It serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner but also acts as a coffee house in the late morning and afternoons, then a bar before and after the dinner hour.
It is hard to classify Busboys and Poets, as calling it merely “restaurant” would be an oversimplification.
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One establishment, however, has sought to pay homage to the past while moving these neighborhoods forward.īusboys and Poets, the brainchild of owner Andy Shallal, has become an institution in the zip codes where it has opened, and its arrival has been credited with invigorating neighborhoods that were once down on their luck. In Washington DC, where the tides of gentrification often achieve positive results by revitalizing once blighted neighborhoods, it is easy to lose sight of the past.