D.C. Real Estate Agent Interviews Andy Shallal: Owner of Busboys and Poets (Part 2)

As a Real Estate Agent in D.C., VA, and MD, in addition to selling houses and helping people find their home, I feel it is my duty to connect to the neighborhood around me.  In this interview, I speak with Andy Shallal, owner of Busboys and Poets.  This is Part Two of a Two Part interview.  To read Part One, click here.  (All photos and pictures are courtesy of the Busboys and Poets website, www.busboysandpoets.com).  

Kevin:  What about your food are you most proud of?

Andy:  The vegan options.  We have expanded these offerings tremendously.  We now offer vegan pizza, vegan eggs, vegan sausage, etc.  Up until recently, as a vegan, you were basically stuck with a salad at places which even provided vegan options.  Now, vegans can dine like everybody else.  We have won several awards for our vegan food, one being the Best Vegan Restaurant through City Paper and the Best Vegan Restaurant through “Veg DC.”

Kevin:  While looking through your website, I came across the “B Corporation” section.  Would you talk about that?

Andy:  Of course.  As a B Corporation we aspire to higher standards of corporate responsibilities.  B Corporations are new.  They are starting to take hold.  B Corporations demand a fundamental shift in a business’s DNA:  in its blueprint.  If the company is later sold, it is sold as a B Corporation.  The higher standards, therefore, cannot be dismissed; the DNA cannot be changed.  It’s an excellent way for us to keep a focus on our ethics.  We did it so it would be an intentional reminder that we cannot just act for our benefit; we must think before we act.  Being a B Corporation forces us to think more often, and results in better decisions.

Kevin:  After having lived in India for two years, I began to notice a difference in people's approach to food (compared to the American tradition in which I was brought up).  Can you explain your phrase, "the power of food?" and how food relates to food culture and activism?

Andy:  Food is powerful.  It is essential.  We all eat.  It is one of the common elements that we all share.  Every culture, from around the globe, contains an infusion of food culture that is relative.  So we all have something to share.  Busboys and Poets uses food to lure people into its space.  Our food is very good, so people come for that.  Then, once they arrive and settle, they can begin to experience other things about the space:  poetry, authors, music, art, all the stimuli that surround them.  Food is the first step that brings people to the table.  Then, after that the unexpected happens and you begin to make connections in an environment that is safe, welcoming, and beautiful. 

Kevin:  I want to take an excerpt from your website and then ask you a question about it: 

"The U Street Corridor has long been a center of DC’s cultural and activist scene. In its cultural heyday, the U Street corridor was known as “Black Broadway,” a phrase coined by jazz singer Pearl Bailey. A strong desire to pay homage to U Street’s traditional identity led proprietor Andy Shallal to reach out to community leaders, neighborhood groups, churches, schools, and other civic organizations during the development of Busboys. What emerged is a dedication to preserve this historic community and an unwavering commitment to its residents."

Andy:  Yes, U Street has enormous historical significance. 

Kevin:  So can you talk about what you were feeling while opening your first location in the U Street Corridor?  Did you feel responsible to its history?

Andy:  I don’t do traditional business.  I’m not a “business man.”  Some people wake up every morning and think about business ideas, formulate plans and think about how to make more money.  Money is not my motivation at all.  So, yes, I felt a lot of responsibility to the business other than the fiscal initiatives.  Again, we are more than a restaurant; we are part of a community.  After living in D.C. for a long time I observed what I felt to be a lack of connection amongst the people within the city.  I questioned myself to see if I could be a force in trying to bridge some of the gaps.

Kevin:  What do you mean some of the “gaps?”

Andy:  A lot of people move into the city who are not originally from D.C.  Take U Street Corridor for example.  A lot of young people moving in there.  Great night life, great entertainment, but how many know about its history?  Some do.  Others don’t.  I feel racial tensions are growing in this city.  Busboys and Poets is a space that attempts to provide a communication channel for people of all races to engage in healthy dialogues about important issues.  Coming to America as a young child, I was confused about this whole race thing.

Kevin:  Can you explain that?

Andy:  I feel in America we seem to categorize race as if it’s something real rather than something that is constructed to maintain a power paradigm.  Sometimes it is self-identified; sometimes it is societal pressure.  So America is this melting pot, but we don’t seem to be talking about being a melting pot!  Race is real!  When I was a boy in school, I had to fill in “white” or “black” on certain school forms.  Sometimes, when I checked “white” my teacher would say. “No, Andy.  Check black.”  Other times, when I checked “black,” a different teacher would say “white.”  It was confusing to me because it seemed so arbitrary.  You see, I am not a supporter of sheepishly putting a check mark next to a category and moving on.  For many people, race has caused them much personal aggravation.  That’s not fair.  Something needed to be done.  I needed to do my part. 

Kevin:  So how does your space seek to accomplish this without making people uncomfortable?

Andy:  Rather than creating a panel where people are usually speaking from planned agendas, or answering direct and usually intimidating questions about race, we wanted to create a space that would allow for all races to interact and intersect.  What’s better than a restaurant, or a live speaking event, or a book store, or a coffee shop?  Why not just put those all together and give it our best shot.  Once people get inside the doors of Busboys and Poets, then they have the opportunity to partake in book events and live spoken word or simply conversation with the person next to them at the bar.  We want Busboys to be local, international, and everything between.  We want to acknowledge the beauty of all races without categorizing anyone.  When you come to Busboys and Poets, you are welcome to just be yourself.

Kevin:  How do you see Busboys and Poets in relation to urban renewal? 

Andy: I humbly believe Busboys and Poets is one type of model business that is being responsible in the midst of urban renewal.  We are doing the best we can to maintain a space of inclusivity.  I think such places are important.

Kevin:  What would you like to say to/about the community of Shaw?

Andy:  Hmm…Dear Shaw, change is difficult.  Change is difficult and urban renewal is an interesting thing.  It is easy to think about the negatives concerning urban renewal.  There are positives, too.  A grocery store with fresh organic fruits and vegetables:  that’s a good thing.  Crime drops.  Open air drug markets cease to exist.  You have farmer’s markets instead.  The challenge with urban renewal is how to get the government and community involved in mitigating the negatives.  Shaw is an example of this right now.  Urban renewal is underway.  I would like to see a gathering take shape to have a healthy dialogue, or forum, maybe in Shaw, to discuss what’s going on.

Kevin:  Andy, There is a paragraph on your website indicating that you “refuse to sign the Civil Rights mural titled 'Peace and Struggle' at Busboys and Poets 14th & V, saying this would be a 'final gesture' that would preclude [you] from making revisions later.”  What do you mean by that?

Andy:  There is mural at 14^th and V that contains many significant world leaders.  I refuse to sign it because I have forgotten to put some really important figures on there (laughs).  The omission was unintentional, but for example, I left out Malcolm X.  I think Malcolm X was a pretty important guy, so I can’t sign the mural until it’s complete.  There are another four of five figures I want to see up on the wall. 

Kevin:  After having spent six months in Durban, South Africa, I must ask if Nelson Mandela is on the mural.

Andy:  Yes, he is.  And his daughter signed it.  We have three Nobel prize winners sign the mural.  Famous women.  Joan Bias.  Alice Walker.  A lot of neat people are involved in that mural.

Kevin:  Andy, how would you define “politics?”

Andy:  “Politics?”  Politics is the art of triangulation.  It’s the art of compromise.

Kevin:  How would you define “success” in relation to a business?

Andy:  “Success?”  Marrying your passions with your business. 

Kevin:  And it is never about the outcome.  It’s about the process.

Andy:  Oh yeah.  Absolutely.  There are no outcomes.  There is only a process.