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Iconic DC restaurant to close temporarily for first major repairs in 60 years

Ben's Chili Bowl plans to shutter original location until at least November
Ben's Chili Bowl has operated at 1213 U St. NW since 1958. (CoStar)
Ben's Chili Bowl has operated at 1213 U St. NW since 1958. (CoStar)

Ben's Chili Bowl, a dining institution in Washington, D.C., plans to temporarily close its original location for an upgrade, marking the first major repairs to the building in more than six decades.

The restaurant will pause operations at 1213 U St. NW later this month until its estimated reopening in November, Ben's said this week.

Having first opened its doors to hungry customers in 1958, the establishment emerged over the years as a cornerstone of the city's food scene and the Civil Rights Movement.

"We've welcomed generations of guests through our doors, and now we're taking this time to care for the space that has meant so much to so many. It's time to give it some love, so it can serve another generation," Virginia Ali, who co-founded the restaurant with her husband, Ben, said in a statement. The Ali family owns the building.

Initially built around 1910, the property housed a silent movie house called the Minnehaha Theater before it was converted into a pool hall and later into Ben's, the restaurant says on its website. It spans nearly 3,800 square feet across two floors, according to CoStar data.

Fans of the landmark restaurant can still enjoy a "half smoke," a mixed pork and beef hot dog topped with the retail chain's famous chili sauce, at a temporary pop-up that's set to open July 17th across the street at 1208 U St. NW.

The brand can also be found along the H Street corridor at 1001 H St. NE, as well as at Nationals Park, inside the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and in stores such as Giant and Costco.

It also recently opened a location at Dulles International Airport in Northern Virginia.

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