Dulles International Airport (IAD) celebrated the arrival of Washington D.C.-based Ben’s Chili Bowl with a ribbon cutting by the restaurant’s 92-year-old founder Virginia Ali, live music, a live mural painting by D.C. artist Aniekan Udofia, commemorative T-shirts and giveaways, as well as food from the 67-year-old U Street eatery. The 2,444-square-foot Concourse B outpost of family-owned Ben’s Chili Bowl will feature the restaurant’s signature diner décor and serve the brand’s award-winning chili, half-smokes, burgers and handspun shakes. The restaurant will be operated in partnership with IAD concessions program manager Fraport, MSK and SAS mgmt.
“It is an honor to share the Ali family’s remarkable story and bring their timeless dishes to a wider audience of international travelers,” said Alyson Murphy, vice president of Fraport Washington Partnership LLC. “Ben’s Chili Bowl is credited with creating D.C.’s signature dish, the chili half-smoke, which is a must-try for visitors. Now, thanks to their partnership with Tas Ahmed, there are two Ben’s Chili Bowls at the airports, including a twin at Reagan National, which opened in 2014.”
“I feel fortunate to be associated with Ben’s Chili Bowl and the Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority — both great institutions have always supported the community and small businesses,” added Tas Ahmed, principal of MSK and SAS mgmt.
“We are thrilled to bring the iconic flavors of Ben’s Chili Bowl to Dulles International,” said Virginia Ali. “It has been a true pleasure working with the team at Fraport and the Airports Authority to make this vision a reality, and we’re very excited to share a taste of D.C. history with travelers from around the world!”
“The Airports Authority welcomes Ben’s Chili Bowl to Dulles International Airport,” added Jaimini M. Erskine, vice president of marketing and concessions at Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA). “Domestic and international passengers can now experience an iconic Washington, D.C. brand with its signature dishes of half-smokes and dogs, burgers, fries, vegetarian options and including a breakfast menu. Delivering more local options has been our vision for the concessions program, and we are excited to have Ben’s Chili Bowl be a part of it.”
