The original U Street NW location of Ben’s Chili Bowl, known for its half-smoke hot dogs and chili, reopened Friday following months of repair work.
The repairs to the structure, which itself dates to 1910, started last July and marked the first time the restaurant, founded in 1958, had been closed in more than six decades. The renovations included work on air conditioning, wiring, plumbing, stoves and grills.
The restaurant held a grand reopening Friday, starting with a live performance of the District of Columbia’s native genre go-go music, a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Attendees include Mayor Muriel Bowser.
In addition to ringing in the new improvements, the reopening also honors co-founder Virginia Ali, 92, and her 67 years of work and entrepreneurship.
“This reopening during Small Business Month makes this celebration even more meaningful,” the Ali family said in a release. “It is our way of honoring Mom — not only as the heart of Ben’s, but as a woman whose leadership, strength, love, and wisdom have shaped this community for more than six decades. This reopening is a gift from our family and from the city to Mom.”
To accommodate the traffic and the hubbub around the reopening, city officials have closed U Street NW between 12th Street and 13th Street NW to parking and all vehicle traffic from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., the Metropolitan Police Department said in a traffic advisory.
The U Street NW location of Ben’s Chili Bowl is also staying open until 4 a.m. Saturday as part of its reopening festivities.
The other locations include one on H Street NE and two airport concourse locations at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and Washington Dulles International Airport.
There are three other locations that are only open at specific times: a location at Nationals Park open during baseball games, one at Northwest Stadium open during Washington Commanders games and one at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center open during conventions.
