Plastic Bags Focus of Busboys Film Screening

Political leaders to discuss potential for Prince George's "bag tax" in Hyattsville today.

Busboys and Poets Celebrates New Bookstore

Hyattsville restaurant holds grand opening celebration on Friday.

On the birthday of the restaurant's patron saint, poet Langston Hughes, Busboys and Poets held a grand opening in Hyattsville yesterday to celebrate the launch of their new in-restaurant bookstore. The name Busboys and Poets was inspired by Hughe's life story, which saw the celebrated jazz-era African-American poet rise from humble beginnings working as a busboy at the high-society Wardman Park Hotel in Woodley Park. Busboys and Poets, which has become a regional restaurant chain with four locations spread across Washington, Virginia and Maryland, has always had a connection to the world of literature. Their first location at 14th and V streets NW has hosted a bookstore run by the non-profit Teaching for Change.  This, however, marks the …

• Photos (3)

Maryland Democrats Push for Sick Leave Law

Legislators, prepping for statehouse fight, hail Busboys and Poets as example of business which has thrived while providing sick leave to all its employees.

Andy Shallal, owner of regional restaurant chain Busboys and Poets, doesn't quite understand why people would oppose legislation mandating sick-leave for Maryland workers.  "Obviously they've never had their food sneezed on, or at least they don't think so," said Shallal. "But they've had their food sneezed on. If they've eaten out, one day, they've had their food sneezed on." It was a blunt statement for a restaurateur to make in front of a crowd in his own restaurant, and when he said it one could hear the room fall silent for half a second while the words sank in. The tension quickly gave way to laughter, and above the din someone shouted "not here, though!" If the food at Busboys and Poets is indeed less prone to being sneezed on than …

•  4 Comments
• Photos (1)

New Busboys and Poets Bookstore Comes to Hyattsville Arts District

Bookstore manager Rodrigo Rioja has been busy ordering books and stacking them on the bookshelves with hopes that the store can officially open this weekend.

While waiters at the Busboys and Poets in Hyattsville’s Arts District are busy serving food to customers in the bustling restaurant, Rodrigo Rioja quietly prepares a space, meticulously filling rows of shelves with hundreds of books as he prepares to open the restaurant’s bookstore. Bookstore manager Rioja hopes to have all the bookshelves filled by the end of the week so the store can be fully operational by this weekend. But some customers—eager to get their hands on the latest books—have already bought books. Rioja has already sold nearly a hundred books in the past two weeks, while he sets up the shop. “Basically, we don’t want to say no to a customer,” he said. “So if you want to get it now, you can get it now.” Before the restaurant …

•  1 Comment
• Photos (2)

Busboys Plans Cuba Trip

Cultural exchange trip set for first week of July, designed around art, culture and business sustainability.

In an attempt to encourage cross-cultural communication, the Busboys and Poets restaurant chain is looking for travelers interested in taking a trip to Cuba.  In an email today, Busyboys and Poets announced that they are planning a six day trip to the Caribbean socialist state, running from July 1-7, 2012.  According to Pam Pinnock, marketing director for Busboys and Poets, the trip is designed to be an educational experience framed around art, culture and business sustainability. The trip takes advantage of recently loosened U.S. travel restrictions between the two nations which allow for educational trips.  Pinnock says that the goal is to "introduce artists here in the states with people that are concerned about art and culture in Cuba…

• Photos (2)

Two Great Open Mic's This Weekend

Listen to some great, local, up and coming artists perform at these two open mic's this weekend at Busboys.

Friday, March 16 10 p.m. - Live! From Busboys Talent Showcase Open Mic - Busboys and Poets - $5 cover Hosted by gospel artist Brittney Wright, this month's Live! from Busboy's Talent Showcase Open Mic is sure to bring a varied ensemble out. Musicians, comedians, dancers, actors, magicians and poets (basically performers of all stripes) are invited to show off their talents in this monthly open mic. Sign up list opens up at 9:30 p.m.  Sunday, March 18 5 p.m. - Borderlines: A Bilingual Spanish-English Open Mic - Busboys and Poets - $5 cover  Hosted by Henry Hills, this open mic looks to cross cultural boundaries through the arts. Performers need not be proficient in either language. Sign up list opens up at 5 p.m. 

• Photos (1)

Holiday Menus: Your Guide to a Few Hyattsville Haunts this Season

Looking for a New Year's Eve party? Check out the Franklin's event.

Hyattsville restaurants are serving up some holiday cheer this winter and residents are going to be hungry for it.   Franklin’s At Franklin’s Restaurant, Brewery & General Store, the specials menu is updated regularly to accommodate seasonal changes in locally grown foods, according to manager Anne Flaherty. One of the bestselling sandwiches on the seasonal menu this winter is The Day After Thanksgiving, which features Thanksgiving favorites such as turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing and cranberry sauce served on white bread. Thanks to brewer Mike Roy, Franklin’s customers can also expect a seasonal rotation of beer. Old Miser, an English Old Ale, and Oatmeal Stout will be out this winter. The restaurant will be hosting a New Year’s Eve …

• Photos (1)

Drink of the Week: French Twist at Hyattsville's Busboys and Poets

Here's a tasty way to relax during the rushed holiday season.

It’s the holiday season and no doubt, you’ve been playing Santa Claus after work—down the aisles, reaching to the top of high shelves, piling your cart and then standing in line for 30 minutes just to willingly allow a plastic credit card reader to drain your bank account of the money you just worked eight hours to earn. For many of us, there’s no such thing as “time to unplug” during December. But stop trying to chug the energy drinks and mute the over baring barks of your boss at work. It’s time to kick off the holiday season with a French combination of organic ingredients and lemon zest.   The first drink up is the Fleur D'Asie. “It is a botanical tea with a relaxing and soothing finish,” said Robert Ventura, manager at Busboys and …

• Photos (1)

Poll: Parking in Hyattsville's Commercial Areas Has Some Scratching Heads

There have been a number of comments on Hyattsville Patch recently about parking at Streetsense's development at Baltimore Avenue and Jefferson Street. Let us know what you think about city parking with this poll.

How do you feel about parking in Hyattsville?  Some of you have mentioned that you don't think there's enough parking at the Streetsense shops (think, Busboys and Poets) on Baltimore Avenue and Jefferson Street.  With construction ongoing there, it's hard to tell if more parking is coming behind the shops—inquiries to Streetsense have not been returned—but in the evenings, the current parking spaces are generally occupied. At University Town Center, there are parking garages and one parking lot for patrons, but after a two hours you have to pay: If you’re going to the Royale 14 movie theater you can get your parking ticket validated at a rate of 4 hours for $1. There is also temporary parking along America Boulevard.   The Hyattsville City…

•  8 Comments
• Photos (2)