Newlyweds Ben and virginia Ali used $5,000 to begin renovating a building at 1213 U Street, washington D.C.  Built in 1910, it first housed a silent movie house called the Minnehaha Theater.  Later, Harry Beckley, one of D.C.'s first Black police detectives, converted it into a pool hall. On August 22, 1958, Ben's Chili Bowl opened for business. Ben's famous “half-smokes” (half-pork and half-beef smoked sausages) have been topped with their spicy, top-secret chili recipe since the day they opened, making them a national treasure.