Ben Ali (businessman): Difference between revisions - Wikipedia

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{{Short description|Trinidadian-American restaurateur (1927–2009)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2019}}

{{Infobox person

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| birth_name = Mahaboob Ben Ali

| birth_date = {{birth date|df=y|1927|6|13}}

| birth_place = [[San Juan, Trinidad and Tobago|San Juan]], [[Trinidad and Tobago]]

| death_date = {{death date and age|df=y|2009|10|7|1927|6|13}}

| death_place = [[Washington, D.C.]], U.S.

| occupation = Businessman, restaurateur

| known_for = Founding [[Ben's Chili Bowl]]

|children = 3

| citizenship = British (1927–1945)<br>[[Trinidadians|Trinidadian]]<br>American

| citizenship =

| nationality = [[Trinidadians and Tobagonians|Trinidadian and Tobagonian]]<br>[[Americans|American]]

| spouse = [[Virginia Ali]]

| alma_mater = [[Howard University]]

}}

'''Mahaboob Ben Ali''' (13 June 1927 – 7 October 2009), known as '''Ben Ali''', was an [[Indo-Caribbean Americans|Indo-Trinidadian American]] businessman and [[restaurateur]]. Ali co-founded [[Ben's Chili Bowl]] with his wife Virginia Ali, a landmark restaurant located on [[U Street]] in Washington D.C., with his wife, Virginia Ali, in 1958.<ref name=wp>{{cite news|title= Ben Ali, 82, Whose Chili Bowl Became a D.C. Landmark, Dies |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/08/AR2009100804353.html?sid=ST2009100804374|work=[[The Washington Post]] |date=9 October 2009 |accessdate=20 November 2009}}</ref> Ben's Chili Bowl has since attracted presidents, celebrities and politicians.<ref name=nytimes>{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/27/magazine/27Ali-t.html | title=Ben Ali: Hot Sauce | last=Witchel | first=Alex | date=23 December 2009 | work=[[The New York Times Magazine]] | accessdate=30 December 2009 | archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20130408022235/http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/27/magazine/27Ali-t.html| archivedate=8 April 2013| url-status= live}}</ref>▼

▲'''Mahaboob Ben Ali''' (13 June 1927 – 7 October 2009), known as '''Ben Ali''', was an [[Indo-Caribbean Americans|Indo-Trinidadian American]] businessman and [[restaurateur]]. Ali co-founded [[Ben's Chili Bowl]] with his wife Virginia Ali, a landmark restaurant located on [[U Street (Washington, D.C.)|U Street]] in Washington, D.C., with his wife, [[Virginia Ali]], in 1958.<ref name=wp>{{cite news|title= Ben Ali, 82, Whose Chili Bowl Became a D.C. Landmark, Dies |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/08/AR2009100804353.html?sid=ST2009100804374|work=[[The Washington Post]] |date=9 October 2009 |accessdate=20 November 2009}}</ref> Ben's Chili Bowl has since attracted presidents, celebrities and politicians.<ref name=nytimes>{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/27/magazine/27Ali-t.html | title=Ben Ali: Hot Sauce | last=Witchel | first=Alex | date=23 December 2009 | work=[[The New York Times Magazine]] | accessdate=30 December 2009 | archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20130408022235/http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/27/magazine/27Ali-t.html| archivedate=8 April 2013| url-status= live}}</ref>

==Biography==

===Early life=Biography ==

Mahaboob Ben Ali was born in [[San Juan, Trinidad and Tobago|San Juan]], [[Trinidad and Tobago#British rule|British Trinidad and Tobago]] on 13 June 1927.<ref name=wp/> He was the firstborn child of seven<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.benschilibowl.com/ordereze/Content/14/Summary.aspx |title=Ben Ali Bio Summary |publisher=Bens Chili Bowl |accessdate=30 January 2012 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120117163228/http://www.benschilibowl.com/ordereze/Content/14/Summary.aspx |archivedate=17 January 2012 }}</ref> in a [[Muslim]] [[Indo-Trinidadian|Indian]] family.<ref name="wp"/> Ali's grandparents had immigrated to Trinidad from [[British Raj|British ruled]] [[Northern India]] as [[Indian indenture system|indentured laborers]].<ref name=wp/> He was raised in the town of San Juan, which is located east of the capital city of [[Port of Spain]].<ref name=wp/> Ali moved to the United States in 1945 as a student.<ref name=wp/> Ali, who had studied such poets as [[Wordsworth]], [[Chaucer]] and [[Shakespeare]] while in Trinidad, originally planned to become a medical doctor.<ref name=wp/> Ali enrolled at the [[University of Nebraska]], but suffered a broken back as the result of a fall down an [[elevator shaft]] while at the school. He spent months recovering from the accident. Following his recovery, Ali attended four separate universities before earning his [[bachelor's degree]] from [[Howard University]] in Washington, D.C.▼

▲Mahaboob Ben Ali was born in [[San Juan, Trinidad and Tobago|San Juan]], [[Trinidad and Tobago#British rule|British Trinidad and Tobago]], on 13 June 1927.<ref name=wp>{{cite news|title= Ben Ali, 82, Whose Chili Bowl Became a D.C. Landmark, Dies |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/08/AR2009100804353.html?sid=ST2009100804374|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=9 October 2009 |accessdate=20 November 2009}}</ref> He was the firstborn child of seven<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.benschilibowl.com/ordereze/Content/14/Summary.aspx |title=Ben Ali Bio Summary |publisher=Bens Chili Bowl |accessdate=30 January 2012 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120117163228/http://www.benschilibowl.com/ordereze/Content/14/Summary.aspx |archivedate=17 January 2012 }}</ref> in a [[Islam|Muslim]] [[Indo-Trinidadian|Indian]] family.<ref name="wp"/> Ali's grandparents had immigrated to Trinidad from [[British Raj|British -ruled]] [[Northern India]] as [[Indian indenture system|indentured laborers]].<ref name=wp/> He was raised in the town of San Juan, which is located east of the capital city of [[Port of Spain]].<ref name=wp/> Ali moved to the United States in 1945 as a student.<ref name=wp/> Ali, who had studied such poets as [[William Wordsworth|Wordsworth]], [[Geoffrey Chaucer|Chaucer]] and [[William Shakespeare|Shakespeare]] while in Trinidad, originally planned to become a medical doctor.<ref name=wp/> Ali enrolled at the [[University of Nebraska–Lincoln|University of Nebraska]], but suffered a broken back as the result of a fall down an [[elevator shaft]] while at the school. He spent months recovering from the accident. Following his recovery, Ali attended four separate universities before earning his [[bachelor's degree]] from [[Howard University]] in Washington, D.C.

Due to [[Islamic]] prohibitions against consuming [[pork]], Ben Ali never consumed some of his restaurant's popular offerings.<ref name="wp"/>▼

▲Due to [[Islamic]] dietary laws|Islamic prohibitions]] against consuming [[pork]], Ben Ali never consumed some of his restaurant's popular offerings.<ref name="wp"/>

[[Man vs. Food]] – S02E12 – Washington, DC was made in tribute to him.

== References ==

{{Reflist}}

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[[Category:2009 deaths]]

[[Category:American restaurateurs]]

[[Category:American Muslims from Washington, D.C.]]

[[Category:Businesspeople from Washington, D.C.]]

[[Category:Howard University alumni]]

[[Category:Trinidad and Tobago emigrants to the United States]]

[[Category:American businessmenpeople of Indian descent]]

[[Category:HindaviTrinidad and Tobago people of Indian descent]]

[[Category:20th-century American businesspeople]]