Busboys and Poets owner Andy Shallal is cooking up plans to develop a culinary training center at the newest restaurant in the Busboys empire, the one coming to Anacostia.
Shallal says he’s working with nonprofit the
Far Southeast Family Collaborative Inc., which also owns the building at 2004-2010 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE. The nonprofit will also have an office on the top floor. The Anacostia spot is about 10,000 square feet with about 3,000 square feet allocated to the culinary school.
The center could eventually train up to 500 workers per year for “the widest spectrum of jobs” in the hospitality industry, including servers, busboys, cooks and, even accountants.
Meanwhile, Shallal is opening two other Busboys by the end of the year,
in Brookland and Takoma Park.
Shallal says the D.C. area’s growth is fueling his expansion.
“The city is growing. There are lots of people moving into the city. We provide an opportunity for a community place that is self-sustaining, where people come to feed their body and mind.”
Though there has been speculation about additional Busboys locations east of the river, Shallal says he doesn’t have any other stores planned for the area right now.
“But Ward 7 and Ward 8 are severely underserved. There’s potential for several restaurants to be able to open there.”