This spring, entrepreneur Andy Shallal once again added to the neighborhood landscape, this time in the form of southern-style restaurant Mulebone (formerly Eatonville), located next to the U Street-location of Busboys and Poets, local chain and venture of Shallal. The walls of Mulebone are vibrant and chaotic with art inspired by the Harlem Rennaissance, and the establishment is similarly an amalgamation of characteristics that intitially seem disparate: a store and incubator for vintage clothing nestled inside a restaurant, which as of Tuesday, July 19, now becomes a community office joint, Share Space, during the first half of the day.
"You can go into Busboys and Poets and do your work there too, but we wanted a space that intentionally has that in its core," said Shallal.
Shallal explained the differences between Share Space and Mulebone, such as the menu, but underscored the commonality: collaboration. "[The theme] is a work in progress, and we will continue to see what rises and falls," he said. "Anybody can walk in -- this is a shared space. We want to make sure we are serving the public."
This emphasis on working together was echoed by Desiree Von Frederic, owner of vintage clothing store and incubator Nomad Yard Collectiv, which posts up shop inside Share Space, "The beauty of what we have created is that together we are all supporting each other," she said.
Click on through the slide show to read more of what we heard and saw during our visit to Share Space.
