Busboys and Poets will open in Takoma Park in 2014
The fifth and newest location for the newly popular Washington chain restaurant, Busboys and Poets, is set to open this spring in the Old Takoma district of Takoma Park. According to a press release, the restaurant will occupy part of the ground floor of a “mixed-use development,” that will include both retail stores and rental apartments. The building is still under construction, but will be finished in early 2014 with the restaurant expected to open sometime after, said Rosalind, Grigsby, community development coordinator for Takoma Park.
The new Busboys and Poets restaurant will be located on the corner of Carroll and Maple Streets, both near the Takoma Park Metro Station and in the center of the historic Main Street Takoma neighborhood. Grigsby said the restaurant, as well as the additional retail and real estate space, will make Takoma Park more of a destination for people in the area. “[Busboys and Poets] is a regional draw. The broader Washington area recognizes the name, and people will come to Takoma Park for it,” Grigsby said.
Grigsby said there is still a demand for new restaurants in Takoma Park, and that the new Busboys and Poets location will cater to the community’s need. In addition, Grigsby said she hopes the restaurant will create a “ripple effect” that will bring new people into the area, and to other Takoma Park businesses as well.
Amanda Eisenberg, a sophomore history and journalism major at the University of Maryland, said she takes a local bus system to get to Busboys and Poets in Hyattsville, but that the Takoma Park location would likely be easier for people from the greater Washington area to reach by metro. Eisenberg said Hyattsville and Takoma Park are similar in terms of population and the “artsy” types of people who live in both towns. “The Busboys and Poets in Hyattsville is a proven model for Takoma Park. It’s probably going to be super successful, and even take away business from Hyattsville’s Busboys and Poets location,” she said.
Established in Washington D.C. in 2005, Busboys and Poets is a hybrid bookstore and restaurant that, according to the business’s official website, aims to serve the community as both a center for cultural gathering and an advocate for social change.