Although Andy Shallal’s professors always said to never mix politics and business, that’s been the key to success for his restaurant Busboys and Poets.
Andy Shallal remembered as he worked toward his Master of Business Administration, “The professors always told us, you just don’t mix politics and business, because it’s not good business.”
But for Shallal, it was part of the recipe for success for his restaurant Busboys and Poets, which first opened at 14th and V streets in Northwest D.C.
Now, there are eight restaurants in the chain, and Shallal said the idea grew from his concern after what he saw following 9/11.
“As an Arab and a Muslim living in this country, I felt like I was an outsider,” he said.
Shallal had come to the U.S. from Iraq when he was just 11 years old. But the anti-Muslim sentiment that simmered at the time left him feeling shaken.
“I never felt so foreign in a country that I had embraced,” he said.
Even as Shallal was concerned about the divisions he saw following 9/11, he said he also saw people working to come together to heal.
“I could see there were people out there that think a better world is possible,” he said.
But, how could he bring together people of all viewpoints and backgrounds, Shallal wondered.
“Of course,” he said, “food. You put food in front of people, and they start showing up.”
And they did, Shallal said.
He chose the location at 14th and V streets due to its proximity to U Street, a cultural hub with a history steeped in Black entertainment.
“It used to be called Black Broadway,” Shallal said.
The interior of the restaurant features murals of notable political, cultural and artistic figures with roots in the nation’s Civil Rights Movement. He smiles as he notes figures from poet Nikki Giovanni to musician Chuck Brown, Civil Rights leader Jesse Jackson and U.S. Rep. John Lewis have all visited Busboys and Poets.
Asked about the current bitter political climate, Shallal said he draws some comfort from history — and some experiences in his own life.
He recalled making a trek at the base camp of Mount Everest. Fatiguing, he struggled to keep going, and the guide who was with him urged him to sit on a rock and look around.
Shallal said the man said to him, instead of focusing on what’s ahead, once in a while, he needed to turn around and look at how far he’d come.
“And that was a light bulb moment for me,” Shallal said.
So when he’s feeling down, Shallal said, he looks up at the mural and all the figures in history who pushed through adversity.
“Much like what the sherpa told me, sometimes we do find ourselves in despair, but we’ve got to look back and see how far we’ve come,” he said.
Shallal also talked about an experience at his restaurant following the first inauguration of President Donald Trump.
“Three MAGA guys came in here, and had their MAGA hats on,” he said. “And they walked in, looked around,” and put their hats under their arms.
“I guess, I don’t know, they thought this might not be as welcoming as they had hoped,” Shallal said.
But they were greeted by server Rosalynd Harris, who greeted them warmly, and Shallal said they had a friendly exchange. “Afterward, they wrote on the check” how their encounter showed that despite their differences, they could come together as Americans.
“And they left her a $450 tip on a $75 check,” Shallal said.
That little vignette, he said, shows how the little things that can happen when people come together really do make a difference.
“Restaurants can play a very significant role in how we can come together as a society,” Shallal said.
Another area where he wanted to bridge divides, Shallal said, is on the plates at his restaurant.
“Early on I wanted to make sure that this was a place where everyone could come together and break bread together,” Shallal said. “So if you’re vegan, or you’re a vegetarian, or if you have lactose intolerance, or you have a gluten allergy or something like that, I don’t want you to feel like you’re the weird person in the crowd.”
So the key was to provide a little something for everyone without a diner having to make a special request.
Shallal said he’s never more gratified than when he sees people come together and find common ground, and be energized by each other’s presence.
“This is just such an opportunity to be able to open a place that brings people together so that we can support one another, we can empower one another, we can encourage one another and we can all work together to make a better world,” he said.
Shallal’s new memoir is called, “A Seat at the Table: The Making of Busboys and Poets.”
Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.
© 2025 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
