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Housing Complex

Ben’s Chili Bowl Buys on H Street

Posted by Lydia DePillis on Oct. 31, 2011 at 12:41 pm

After a long courtship, longtime H Street NE clothier George Butler finally found a buyer—the guys behind Ben's Chili Bowl. Butler's store at 10th Street had been on the market for $1.4 million, but Nizam and Kamal Ali bargained him down to $900,000; the deal closed on October 11. It won't necessarily be another Ben's, though. The Alis say they're doing some market analysis over the next three months to figure out what concept might fit the neighborhood best, and what kind of renovations will be possible. In the mean time, they're still on the lookout for more locations—so it appears the future is full of half smokes.

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Comments

  1. Cap City Records Panhandler October 31st, 2011
    2:54 pm
    #1

    Ear to the streets...

  2. Mr. Remember October 31st, 2011
    3:49 pm
    #2

    I guess I am missing something here. Oh! Well that will give the bar-hopping crowd something to put on that liquor laden stomach.

  3. blah October 31st, 2011
    4:09 pm
    #3

    Just another black owned business pushed out of H street by white gentrifiers. Oh wait.

  4. StrangeFruit October 31st, 2011
    5:46 pm
    #4

    Blah,

    don't hate!

  5. Jes' sayin' November 1st, 2011
    9:04 am
    #5

    The good sons Nizam and Kamal Ali would never claim to be a smart as their late and beloved father. But if they're not, they're pretty darned close.

    Good luck guys. Stick with the formula and they'll love you as much on H Street NE as they do on U Street NW!

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  1. Linked From: November 1st, 2011
    6:01 pm
    Ben’s Chili Bowl owners focus expansion on H Street, Clarendon | Lala24 Hot News from all popular web sites

    [...] expansion effort continues, as the Washington City Paper reported that the restaurant’s owners recently purchased a former clothing store at the corner of H and [...]

  2. Linked From: November 1st, 2011
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    Ben’s Chili Bowl owners focus expansion on H Street, Clarendon | DC Earthquake

    [...] expansion effort continues, as the Washington City Paper reported that the restaurant’s owners recently purchased a former clothing store at the corner of H and [...]

  3. Linked From: December 17th, 2011
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