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

1-2-3 ¡vamos! Busboys and Poets Trip To Havana 2024

Oct 20, 2023

Celebrating the 123rd Birthday of Langston Hughes REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED FOR THIS TRIP Join us for the Havana Jazz Festival and the unveiling of the Langston Hughes statue, sculpted by renowned Cuban artist Alberto Lescay and revealed by the Pulitzer Prize-Winning Author Alice Walker. The program will be filled with cultural encounters, meetings, colloquiums, … Continued

Trivia Night at Busboys and Poets

Jan 14, 2019

By: Trivia Lord, the Minutia Master, the Human Wikipedia, Busboys Trivia Host, Max Johansen The First Takoma Trivia of 2019 kicked off with a full house and an epic three way tie! In honor of the (now record-breaking) government shutdown, the theme of our first trivia event of the year was: SHUT IT DOWN! Ten … Continued

Busboys and Poets Books Interview: E. Ethelbert Miller

Mar 2, 2018

February saw the release of If God Invented Baseball, the latest collection of poetry from DC legend and literary activist E. Ethelbert Miller. A devoted fan of the Washington Nationals, Ethelbert celebrates in the book the magic of baseball and its lessons for life. In advance of the poet’s upcoming event at Busboys and Poets … Continued

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Everest Base Camp #16

Mar 11, 2021

Holy tea on top of the mountain I am awake and somewhat refreshed and ready to take on today’s challenge. Big climbs don’t stress me out. Not anymore. I have a new menace. Lack of oxygen. Today this menace will be tested. On the way to Dengboche. At 14,500 feet. I am sitting with Dawa … Continued