Ben Ali (businessman): Difference between revisions

Mahaboob Ben Ali
Mahaboob Ben Ali
Born	Mahaboob Ben Ali; 13 June 1927; San Juan, Trinidad and Tobago
Died	7 October 2009 (aged 82); Washington, D.C., U.S.
Nationality	Trinidadian and Tobagonian; American
Alma mater	Howard University
Occupation(s)	Businessman, restaurateur
Known for	Founding Ben's Chili Bowl
Spouse	Virginia Ali
Children	3

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Mahaboob Ben Ali (13 June 1927 – 7 October 2009), known as Ben Ali, was an Indo-Trinidadian American businessman and restaurateur. Ali co-founded Ben's Chili Bowl, a landmark restaurant located on U Street in Washington, D.C., with his wife, Virginia Ali, in 1958. Ben's Chili Bowl has since attracted presidents, celebrities and politicians.^[1]

Biography

Mahaboob Ben Ali was born in San Juan, British Trinidad and Tobago, on 13 June 1927.^[2] He was the firstborn child of seven^[3] in a Muslim Indian family. Ali's grandparents had immigrated to Trinidad from British-ruled Northern India as indentured laborers. He was raised in the town of San Juan, which is located east of the capital city of Port of Spain. Ali moved to the United States in 1945 as a student. Ali, who had studied such poets as Wordsworth, Chaucer and Shakespeare while in Trinidad, originally planned to become a medical doctor. 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.

Due to Islamic prohibitions against consuming pork, Ben Ali never consumed some of his restaurant's popular offerings.^[2]

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

References

^ Witchel, Alex (23 December 2009). "Ben Ali: Hot Sauce". The New York Times Magazine. Archived from the original on 8 April 2013. Retrieved 30 December 2009.
^ ^a ^b "Ben Ali, 82, Whose Chili Bowl Became a D.C. Landmark, Dies". The Washington Post. 9 October 2009. Retrieved 20 November 2009.
^ "Ben Ali Bio Summary". Bens Chili Bowl. Archived from the original on 17 January 2012. Retrieved 30 January 2012.

[nytimes-1] Witchel, Alex (23 December 2009). "Ben Ali: Hot Sauce". The New York Times Magazine. Archived from the original on 8 April 2013. Retrieved 30 December 2009.

[wp-2] "Ben Ali, 82, Whose Chili Bowl Became a D.C. Landmark, Dies". The Washington Post. 9 October 2009. Retrieved 20 November 2009.

[3] "Ben Ali Bio Summary". Bens Chili Bowl. Archived from the original on 17 January 2012. Retrieved 30 January 2012.

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[2]

[3]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Short description|Trinidadian-American restaurateur (1927–2009)}}
+{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2019}}
 {{Infobox person
 | name        = Mahaboob Ben Ali
 | birth_name  = Mahaboob Ben Ali
-| birth_date  = {{birth date|1927|6|13}}
+| birth_date  = {{birth date|df=y|1927|6|13}}
-| birth_place = [[San Juan, Trinidad and Tobago|San Juan]], [[Trinidad]]
+| birth_place = [[San Juan, Trinidad and Tobago|San Juan]], [[Trinidad and Tobago]]
-| death_date  = {{death date and age|2009|10|7|1927|6|13}}
+| death_date  = {{death date and age|df=y|2009|10|7|1927|6|13}}
+| death_place = [[Washington, D.C.]], U.S.
-| occupation  = Businessman, Restaurateur
+| occupation  = Businessman, restaurateur
-| known_for   = [[Ben's Chili Bowl]]
+| known_for   = Founding [[Ben's Chili Bowl]]
-| citizenship = [[British people|British]] (1927-1945)<br>[[Trinidadians|Trinidadian]]<br>[[Americans|American]]
+|children = 3
-| nationality = [[Trinidadians|Trinidadian and Tobagonian]]<br>[[Americans|American]]
+| citizenship =
-| spouse      = Virginia Rollins
+| nationality = [[Trinidadians and Tobagonians|Trinidadian and Tobagonian]]<br>[[Americans|American]]
+| spouse = [[Virginia Ali]]
+| alma_mater = [[Howard University]]
 }}
-'''Mahaboob Ben Ali''' (June 13, 1927 – October 7, 2009), known as '''Ben Ali''', was an [[Indo-Caribbean Americans|Indo-Trinidadian and Tobagonian American]] [[businessman]] and [[restaurateur]]. Ali co-founded [[Ben's Chili Bowl]], a [[landmark]] [[restaurant]] located on [[U Street]] in [[Washington D.C.]], with his wife, Virginia Ali, in 1958.<ref name=wp>{{cite news|first=|last=|title= Ben Ali, 82, Whose Chili Bowl Became a D.C. Landmark, Dies |url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/08/AR2009100804353.html?sid=ST2009100804374|work=[[Washington Post]] |publisher=|date=2009-10-09 |accessdate=2009-11-20}}</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=December 23, 2009 | work=[[The New York Times Magazine]] | publisher=[[The New York Times|nytimes.com]] | accessdate=December 30, 2009 | archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20130408022235/http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/27/magazine/27Ali-t.html| archivedate=April 8, 2013<!--DASHBot-->| deadurl= no}}</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]], a landmark restaurant located on [[U Street (Washington, D.C.)|U Street]] in Washington, D.C., with his wife, [[Virginia Ali]], in 1958. 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 ==
-Ben Ali was born Mahaboob Ben Ali  in [[Trinidad and Tobago#British rule|British Trinidad and Tobago]] on June 13, 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 |date= |accessdate=2012-01-30 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120117163228/http://www.benschilibowl.com/ordereze/Content/14/Summary.aspx |archivedate=2012-01-17 |df= }}</ref> in a Muslim 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 [[physician|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]], [[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. Ali's grandparents had immigrated to Trinidad from [[British Raj|British-ruled]] [[Northern India]] as [[Indian indenture system|indentured laborers]]. He was raised in the town of San Juan, which is located east of the capital city of [[Port of Spain]]. Ali moved to the United States in 1945 as a student. 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. 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.
+[[Man vs. Food]] – S02E12 – Washington, DC was made in tribute to him.
-==References==
-{{reflist}}
+== References ==
+{{Reflist}}
+{{Authority control}}
 {{DEFAULTSORT:Ali, Ben}}
@@ Line 29: / Line 36: @@
 [[Category:2009 deaths]]
 [[Category:American restaurateurs]]
-[[Category:American Muslims]]
+[[Category: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 businessmen of Indian descent]]
+[[Category:American people of Indian descent]]
-[[Category:Hindavi people]]
+[[Category:Trinidad and Tobago people of Indian descent]]
+[[Category:20th-century American businesspeople]]