Entrepreneur: Busboys and Poets #1 best coffee shop to work in across the U.S.

5 Great Coffee Shops to Work In Across the U.S

Entrepreneur Magazine
July 6, 2015

Boasting six locations, Busboys and Poets is a favorite among entrepreneurs in the Washington, D.C., Virginia and Maryland area. The restaurant offers ample seating and complimentary Wi-Fi. Also, many of the menu items are either vegan or gluten-free (the chili comes highly recommended).

Chianti Lomax, a management consultant at a D.C.-technology firm, says when she walks into Busboys and Poets, it feels like she’s “receiving a hug from art and creativity.” She further states, “The ambiance is nostalgic—typically there is an awesome throwback tune playing in the background and you are subject to meeting some of the coolest people at the laptop tables.”

A Seat at the Table: The Making of Busboys and Poets

Sep 2, 2025

We’re proud to announce A Seat at the Table: The Making of Busboys and Poets, the new memoir from our CEO and Founder, which reveals the vision, challenges, and triumphs behind opening Busboys and Poets. Packed with misadventures, unexpected triumphs, and insights on race, business and politics, Andy Shallal’s memoir takes us on a “How I Built … Continued

For Langston Hughes on His 123 Birthday

Feb 1, 2024

Speech given on February 1, 2024 in Havana, Cuba In 1927 Langston Hughes walked into a Cuba amid an emerging community of artists, intellectuals, and radicals. He saw a “sunrise in a new land [– a day – in his words]sic – full of brownskin surprises, and hitherto unknown contacts in a world of color.” … Continued

Palestine Week 2024

Jan 12, 2024

January 18, 2024 – January 25, 2024 In keeping with our ongoing mission of uplifting racial and cultural connections, Busboys and Poets is hosting Palestine Week (January 18 through January 25, 2024). This week-long series of events will offer a diverse range of programming featuring Palestinian food, music, dance, poetry, discussions, and other enriching events. … Continued

Celebrate Poetry Month with Busboys and Poets

Apr 3, 2019

We celebrate poetry every day in our spaces. From the art, to the books, to our Tribe (several who are poets!), poetry surrounds us and we wouldn’t have it any other way. Whether it’s an Open Mic Night or just grabbing a few books of poetry to read, there’s no wrong way to celebrate with … Continued

Busboys and Poets Books Review: My Guantanamo Diary

Jan 12, 2018

Have you set a goal or a resolution for the New Year? As I’m reading My Guantanamo Diary (PublicAffairs $14.99), by Mahvish Rukhsana Khan for an upcoming literary club with a dramatic twist (details to follow), I’d like to encourage you to consider participation in the arts as a worthy goal for 2018. Artists, writers … Continued

A Girls Guide to Joining the Resistance Book Review

Mar 30, 2018

Emma Gray’s tiny book of feminist resistance promises to be a guide to doing more and doing good in a world that seems to have turned against women all together. The book is extremely readable and well-put together, starring personal anecdotes, interviews with amazing activists, and step-by-step guides made to help us as readers do … Continued

Busboys and Poets Books Review: Never Stop

Dec 15, 2017

Halfway through reading “Never Stop”, it becomes apparent the title of Simba Sana’s new memoir is a clever double entendre that can be interpreted as: 1) Never Stop in your pursuit of the best life for you. 2) Never Stop keeping busy, lest you realize that you aren’t living your best life, regardless … Continued