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Ben Ali

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Restaurateur

The Resume

    (June 13, 1927-October 7, 2009)
    Born in San Juan, Trinidad and Tobago
    Birth name was Mahaboob Ben Ali
    Founder of Ben's Chili Bowl (Washington, D.C.)
    Married co-founder Virginia Ali in 1958
    Diner is known locally for its chili dogs, half-smokes, and milkshakes

Why he might be annoying:

    He wanted to be dentist.
    Bill Cosby was a regular at his Chili Bowl (a sign adorned the restaurant for years reading 'Who eats free at Ben's: —Bill Cosby —The Obama Family').
    Ironically, he never consumed his own restaurant's hot dogs due to his faith's prohibiting eating pork.
    Google searches for his name turn up content related to ousted Tunisia President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.

Why he might not be annoying:

    He was the eldest of seven children.
    His grandparents had immigrated to Trinidad from British ruled Northern India as indentured laborers.
    He moved to the United States in 1945 as a medical student.
    His education at University of Nebraska was interrupted when he suffered a broken back from a fall down an elevator shaft.
    He spent months recovering from the accident and attended four separate universities before earning his bachelor's degree from Howard University.
    He and Virginia married seven weeks after opening the Chili Bowl.
    His restaurant survived the violence of the 1968 riots by serving as a meeting place for activists like Stokely Carmichael (and reportedly even Martin Luther King).
    Ben's Chili Bowl has been a main stop for celebrities (Anthony Bourdain, Chris Tucker, Jimmy Fallon), politicians (Jesse Jackson) and Presidents (Bush and Obama).

Credit: BoyWiththeGreenHair


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 12 Votes: 41.67% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 106 Votes: 52.83% Annoying