A SEAT AT THE TABLE with Andy Shallal and Amy Goodman | Busboys and Poets

A Seat at the Table is the story of the founding of Busboys and Poets, a Washington, D.C.-based restaurant that has become a celebrated hub for political activism. Named in honor of Langston Hughes, who worked as a busboy while writing poetry, the restaurant is the creation of Andy Shallal, an Iraqi American restaurateur, artist, and activist.

Packed with misadventures, unexpected triumphs, and insights on race, business and politics, A Seat at the Table takes us on a "How I Built This" journey that ends with the opening of the first Busboys and Poets, now just one of eight D.C. locations bearing the same name. Along the way, we get to savor the delicious cuisine and unique ethos for which Busboys and Poets has become famous.

Andy Shallal will be in conversation with Amy Goodman, host and executive producer of Democracy Now!. Copies of the book will be available for purchase during and after the event, and Andy Shallal will be signing following the program.

This event is free and open to all. Our program begins at 6:00 pm, and will be followed by an audience Q&A. Copies of A SEAT AT THE TABLE will be available for purchase before and after the event. Please note that this event is in-person and you must purchase a book for livestream access. 

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Andy Shallal is an artist, social entrepreneur and founder/CEO of Busboys and Poets, a restaurant group in the Washington Metropolitan area where art, culture and politics intentionally collide over mindfully sourced food, drinks, books and event programming. With seven locations in Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia, Busboys and Poets has become a home for progressives, artists, creatives and intellectuals, including such notables as Harry Belafonte, Danny Glover, Alice Walker, Angela Davis and the late Howard Zinn. As a leader in the sustainable food movement, Busboys has been recognized locally and nationally for its innovative, conscious cuisine. Under Shallal’s leadership, Busboys has received numerous awards including the Mayor’s Arts Award, Employer of the Year from the Employment Justice Center and the Mayor’s Environmental Award.

Amy Goodman is the host and executive producer of Democracy Now!, a national, daily, independent, award-winning news program airing on over 1,400 public television and radio stations worldwide.

Goodman has co-authored six New York Times bestsellers. Democracy Now!: Twenty Years Covering the Movements Changing America, looks back over the past two decades of Democracy Now! and the powerful movements and charismatic leaders who are re-shaping our world. The Silenced Majority: Stories of Uprisings, Occupations, Resistance, and Hope, and Breaking the Sound Barrier, both written with Denis Moynihan, give voice to the many ordinary people standing up to corporate and government power. She co-authored her first three bestsellers with her brother, journalist David Goodman: Standing Up to the Madness: Ordinary Heroes in Extraordinary Times (2008), Static: Government Liars, Media Cheerleaders, and the People Who Fight Back (2006) and The Exception to the Rulers: Exposing Oily Politicians, War Profiteers, and the Media That Love Them (2004). She co-writes a weekly column with Denis Moynihan (also produced as an audio podcast) syndicated by King Features, for which she was recognized in 2007 with the James Aronson Award for Social Justice Reporting.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Busboys and Poets 14th & V, 2021 14th St NW, Washington, United States