Ahead of the May 1 reopening of Ben’s Chili Bowl – the historic location on U Street NW, where for decades politicians have gathered to validate their D.C. credentials – the Ali family is talking about the refurbished diner as a “gift back to Mom.”
The “mom” in question is Virginia Ali, the 92-year-old matriarch who co-founded Ben’s along with her husband, whose given name is summoned with every mention of the D.C. landmark. Since her spouse’s death in 2009, Virginia has been the head of the family that keeps Ben’s humming, day in and day out, feeding everyone who enters, whether they are homeless or the leader of the free world. Virginia is also, unofficially, the “matriarch of D.C.” a title she rejects out of hand.
In the weeks leading up to Ben’s temporary closure in July, Virginia had just one request of those handling the difficult task of renovating the 116-year-old building: “I told my architect and my contractor, ‘The only thing I’m looking for after you fix it is to make it look just the way it is today,’” Virginia told The Washington Post last year. “I just want it done well.”
Crews are still applying the finishing touches to the space, but the major structural repairs have been completed, the Ali family says. The HVAC system has been replaced, which will be welcome news to anyone who used to wait in line next to the griddle in the thick of summer, when the temperature inside Ben’s could be only a few degrees cooler than outside. The plumbing and electrical systems have been upgraded, too. Ben’s has doubled its power capacity, more than enough to handle the restaurant’s needs for the foreseeable future, says Vida Ali, daughter-in-law to Virginia and the family member who handles media.
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The Ali family won’t discuss the final price tag, but Vida Ali says the renovations went over budget. The family also declined to share the architecture firm or interior designer hired for the renovations.
The renovations took longer than expected. When Ben’s shut down for repairs last summer, the family expected to reopen in November. After that deadline passed, the Alis hoped Ben’s would return in time for cherry blossom season, when tourists – a major source of revenue for the restaurant – flock to Washington. But when the Japanese cherry trees were in peak bloom, Ben’s was still dealing with contractors and building inspectors.
The nearly 10-month closure is the longest in the 68-year history of Ben’s, an establishment that has proven remarkably resilient. The diner has managed to remain open through some of the most turbulent periods in Washington, including the riots that followed the news of Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination in 1968. The place even kept the lights on when the streets outside Ben’s were made impassable during construction of the Metro Green Line, a years-long disruption that killed countless Shaw-area businesses.
But this closure was by choice. The Ali family first considered renovating the U Street location in 2019, Vida Ali says, but the pandemic and its supply-chain interruptions upended those plans. For years, the owners had been fighting a losing battle against Ben’s aging infrastructure. The diner was forced to close down for a few days in 2011 to replace pipes that were thought to be a half-century old. The restaurant’s wheezing HVAC system could no longer combat the heat outside during the dog days of summer.
During construction, Ben’s hosted a pop-up across the street at Amsterdam Cafe and Lounge, where the family offered a full menu for customers who couldn’t live without their chili half-smokes and burgers. The Alis had to do some repairs to the Amsterdam space and install their own equipment before opening the temporary location. “It was a money pit,” Vida Ali told The Post.
Since major renovations wrapped up at Ben’s, very few people have entered the space to see the upgrades. Virginia Ali still hasn’t toured the site and doesn’t plan to until reopening day. The family wants Ben’s 2.0 to serve as a surprise gift to the woman who has been greeting customers, almost daily, since the late ’50s, when U Street was known as Black Broadway.
As such, family members don’t want to reveal any of the details inside, even though they recently gave a reporter a tour through the still-unfinished diner. (The owners did not permit a photographer for The Post to take pictures of the new interior.) For now, what they’ll say is that the basic layout remains the same: The front, middle and back rooms share the same footprint as before, though each has been brought up to code. The space also has wider doors everywhere, including the refurbished restrooms, to make the structure compliant with the Americans With Disabilities Act.
Any element that hasn’t been upgraded has instead been given a second life, such as the pressed-tin ceiling, which crews painstakingly cleaned and repainted, usually on a tall scaffold in the middle of the room. As part of the makeover, the Ali family will also refresh the mural on the side of the building, which was last updated in 2017 after Bill Cosby, one of Ben’s biggest supporters over the years who was featured in an earlier mural, was charged with sexual assault. The family is soliciting public suggestions on the restuarant’s website for who to include in the latest mural.
The renovations should be but a small note in the Ben’s timeline “if the history, culture, taste, music, photos, sizzle and smell stay true and attract an eclectic clientele reflecting Dr. King’s ‘beloved community,’” Bernard Demczuk said in a text message, invoking King’s concept of community in which all are treated as equals. “That’s what sets us apart – the people and mom’s kindness!”
Demczuk, who holds a doctorate in African American history and culture, is the official historian of Ben’s Chili Bowl. For about 20 years, he has had his own seat at Ben’s, a spot in the front room marked with a personalized plaque. It lists Demczuk’s “office hours,” which are limited. He’s available every Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon to provide the backstory of Ben’s Chili Bowl. No appointment necessary.
Demczuk will retain his seat inside the remodeled Ben’s. So will former president Barack Obama, who famously visited the diner in the days ahead of his 2009 inauguration. ‘I’m going to actually advocate that there should be a plaque for Jesse [Jackson] and for Donnie Simpson and a few others as well,” Demczuk said about the late civil rights leader and the local radio disc jockey and personality. “Maybe a string of plaques.”
The upgraded Ben’s is expected to have one new feature: several kiosks where patrons will be able to place orders without standing in the long line that regularly forms in the hours after midnight, when U Street bars call it a night. The expanded kitchen in back should help handle the influx of orders that arrive from hungry customers, the family says.
It’s an open question as to how Virginia Ali will react when she gets her first glimpse of the refurbished Ben’s. But the family is banking on a positive response. They’re having a party on May 1, with live go-go music, ahead of the official ribbon cutting at 1 p.m. It’s open to the public, but the family has also invited media to capture Virginia’s initial thoughts as she walks through the door.
“This whole thing, calling it a gift back to Mom, it’s a kind of scary thing for her to not see it and see it the day the media” is there, said Vida Ali. “You can’t hide … whatever she feels.”