After two years of construction, a new Busboys and Poets location will open in Columbia, Md., on October 10, the Baltimore Sun reported. The bookstore and restaurant will be the ninth Busboy and Poets location and the largest yet, with 10,000 square feet of space spread across two floors.
There is an outdoor patio on the first floor and a large covered deck on the second floor, as well as an event space with its own bar on the second floor. Between the indoor and outdoor spaces, the Columbia location can seat around 700 people.
"We've never had an outdoor deck or terrace before," owner Andy Shallal told the Sun. "We've had a second floor but not to this extent."
Shallal started to think about opening a store in Columbia after a number of local friends encouraged him to do so. He then met with members of the Howard Hughes Corporation to hear about their plans for the Merriweather District, where the new Busboys and Poets is located. Work began well before the Covid-19 pandemic began, but it of course caused many challenges. Shallal added: "We are battle-hardened. Not only us, but our customers are used to changes and pushing on."