Busboys & Poets

• Anas "Andy" Shallal
  Owner Shallal moved to the United States with his family in 1966. In September 2005, Andy opened Busboys and Poets at 14th and V, in the historic U Street neighborhood. Shallal painted the civil rights movement-themed mural at Busboys and Poets, called Peace in Struggle Wall. He refuses to sign the civil rights mural at Busboys, saying this would be a "final gesture" that would preclude him from making revisions later.
• Ericka Byrd-Thompson
  Manager of Corporate Affairs Ericka Byrd-Thompson is a native Washingtonian who enjoys gardening, live music and rummaging through thrift stores and flea markets for treasures. Ericka has worked in various capacities at Busboys and Poets @ Langston Lofts since its opening in 2005. Her favorite Busboys Dish is the crabcake sandwich with fries and a Big Daddy! She is also an avid book lover. One of her favorite fiction titles is “Ressurrecting Mingus” by Jenoyne Adams.
  Best Busboys and Poets Memory : One year anniversary Celebration - there was a day long schedule of events: musicians performing, poets reciting, friends sharing, balloons, flowers, music, stage , It was fabulous!
• Hicham Baamrani
  Director of Operations Hicham truly enjoys the excitement of the food service industry. For him, hospitality is a hobby. Hicham came from Africa to pursue a career in culinary arts in 1989 and has been doing it ever since.
  Favorite Busboys Dish: Hicham has been instrumental in the creation of the Busboys menu. He loves all dishes equally - just like he loves both of his children.
• Pamela Pinnock
  Director of Events and Marketing I came to work at Busboys and Poets in June 2005. I love working here because of the mission of the organization and the diverse clientele. Favorite poem is Yet Do I Marvel by Countée Cullen.
  Favorite item on the menu: The bread pudding!

Busboys @ Langston Lofts

• Brian Evans
  Catering Manager A native of Dallas Texas, Brian loves cooking, entertaining and creating ambiance. Very community involved and hopes to change the lives of Children and Young Adults. A Creative Conceptualist, he’s always striving to keep things moving forward. His favorite author is James Baldwin.
  Favorite Busboys dish: The Catfish!
• Daniel Lockhart
  Floor Manager Originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, Dan has been in DC for 3 years now. He has recently joined the Busboys team with over 10 years experience in the hospitality industry. Dan has served in all facets of hotel service including Banquet Manager, Food & Beverage Director, Restaurant Manager and Catering Sales Manager.
  Favorite Busboys Meal: Two – The Catfish and Grilled Chicken Panini
• Don Allen
  General Manager,
  Busboys and Poet Books Don has been working in bookstores and libraries since his Kent State college days when everyone was protesting against apartheid in South Africa. He learned for the first time that the government lies when Reagan fired his dad for being a striking member of PATCO, the air traffic controllers' union. Since that time, it has been harder and harder to find truth coming from our elected leaders. Don seriously believes that "Franny and Zooey" is a much better Salinger novel than "Catcher in the Rye" and Dostoyevsky was the greatest novelist to walk the planet. Don and his wife, Kelly, recently left Mount Pleasant to live in Takoma DC, where he spends his free time rooting for last place baseball teams (The Nats and the team from Cleveland), being terrorized by their ferocious cat, and plotting to turn the yard into a garden.
  Favorite Busboys Dish: "I eat the Tomato and Mozzarella sandwich every day. I'm not kidding. It must be my favorite."
• Kader Nsiri
  Floor Manager Kader Nsiri is a manager at Busboys and Poets. Kader first joined the staff of Busboys and Poets as a server in 2006. Kader studied law in Tunisia, his home country. He enjoys soccer and spending time with his two cats in Mt. Pleasant.
  Favorite Busboys Dish : Crab Cake Sandwich.
• Ken Hatter
  Bar Manager Born in Waxahachie, Texas, Ken studied Discrete Mathematics at the University of Texas. He has one dog, a catahoula leopard, loves the color orange and puma sneakers. Ken’s favorite book is le grand meaulnes (the wanderer) – and favorite poem is Theme for English class b-by Langston Hughes.
  Favorite Busboys Meal: Harira soup in a mashed potato well, topped with spinach.
• Kerron Purchess
  Floor Manager In November 2007 Kerron was established at Busboys and Poets. The beauty of the atmosphere dazzled me, and heaved me into a place that allows me to change the status quo and to design models to express my passion creatively. But I knew I had to work hard and take initiative to enjoy the rewards. Months later, I am still thrilled by the warmth and friendliness. With a supportive team behind me and an unlimited future ahead of me, Kerron is certain to come out on top, just like cream. I found the right balance between work and play. My favorite literary work “How Soccer Explains the World” by Franklin Foer.
  Favorite Busboys Dish: Salmon Entree special prep no asparagus sub avocado.
• Michael J Woods
  Director of Development Michael J, a founding member of the Busboys Team, is humbled daily by the reality that the Busboys vision continues to expand with our community. He has been blessed to play upon this stage and share 10 years of hospitality and 20 years of performance production experience with the world! An Eagle Scout with a background in music and theatre, Michael can't live without the Brie Panini - mmm, gourmet grilled cheese!
• Timothy Relph
  Floor Manager

Busboys @ Shirlington Village

• Geoff Shallal
  General Manager My name is Geoff Shallal and I am the manager at the Busboys in Shirlington. I started in this business at very young age, working for my father in the summers to help pay for school. I started when I was about 15 and have been loving every minute. After attending Coastal Carolina Univeristy in South Carolina, I moved back to the area to work at Luna Grill in Shirlington and worked there for 5 years. I later went to work for Applebee's restaurant for 3 years and then moved back again to the area to help open Busboys and Poets in Virginia. I think Busboys and Poets is a wonderful place to work and I feel that my extensive restaurant background has made me a strong asset to the company. In my free time I like to spend time with my family. I don't get time to read as much as I like, however, "America" by Jon Stewart was very entertaining.
  Favorite Busboys Dish: Sautéed Chicken over Jasmine rice. “You should come in and try it sometime! Ask for me. I would love to meet you.”
• Jennifer Arrington
  Bookstore Manager Jennifer Arrington is a fourth generation DC native. She graduated with honors from UMBC in 2002 with a BA in American Studies, concentrating in Community and Diversity. She is a trained NCBI facilitator, and founding member of the Mayor's Day of Dialogue - a cross-city student initiative that bridged divides through citywide leadership trainings in the late '90s. Jennifer has been an employee of Teaching for Change since 2004, and worked in the DC location prior to the opening of the Shirlington location in August 2007.
  Favorite Busboys Dish: Steak and Asparagus Salad
• Risikat "Kat" Okedeyi
  Events Coordinator Risikat "Kat" Okedeyi has been planning events for over 12 years, teaching English and Literature for over 5 years. She works with artists under LiL SoSo Productions and is an healer and an herbalist (not that kind!) Her favorite books are "Their Eyes Were Watching God" by Zora Neale Hurston and anything by Tanaverie Due
  Favorite Busboys Dish: Grilled salmon with extra asparagus!
• Rozh Mutabchi
  Floor Manager Rozh Mutabchi was born and raised in Iraq. He's been living in the DC area since 1997. Rozh is a people person who truly enjoys interacting with customers and boosting morale amongst staff. He enjoys restaurant design and was an instrumental person in opening the Shirlington location. He has a knack for drink mixology and is advancing his knowledge of wines.
  Favorite Busboys Dish: Blackened Salmon