04-14-2022 Howard Magazine - Flipbook - Page 16
G O O D E AT S
BY JOHN-JOHN WILLIAMS IV Howard Magazine
Busboys and Poets owner, Andy Shallal, works on a portion of the mural he is creating themed, “I Dream A World”.
PHOTOS BY JEFFREY F. BILL
Shared table
Busboys & Poets owner says Columbia has embraced his brand of diversity
As a 10-year-old immigrant relocated to the
Washington area in the late 1960s, Andy Shallal
was immediately struck by America’s racial
dynamic.
The 66-year-old Iraqi-American created
Busboys & Poets as a way of welcoming all to his
restaurant for the sacred experience of eating
together.
“I thought, ‘this country is crazy,’ ” Shallal said
of his first impressions of America.
“I remember in high school and middle school
having to choose [my race]. I had no idea. The
teacher chose what I was. The obsession of race
holds for me as well.”
16 | SPRING 2022 | howardmagazine.com
Shallal has found a welcoming community in
Columbia — the site of the ninth and largest
location of Busboys & Poets, a restaurant that
pays homage to many of Shallal’s friends, whom
he considers activists. “These are people that I
have known for most of my life. Being an activist,
you connect with people who are like-minded,”
he explained. “It’s not about being Black, it’s
about being conscious.”
Shallal thinks Howard County is a prime location for his business.
“Columbia is a very good fit for us,” he
explained. “Ever since we first opened our first
location [in Washington], we had people from