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Anthony Ulysses Holmon, the former night manager at Ben’s Chili Bowl who’s now vying to open his own competing eatery, D.C. Chili Bowl, tells WTOP that he’s interested in taking over Trinidad’s shuttered Capital City Diner. Speaking to Y&H on Thursday, Holmon similarly mentioned the vacant 1940s-style diner on Bladensburg Road NE among a handful of possible locations for his own version of D.C.’s iconic half-smoke hub. “The diner’s nice,” Holmon says. “I’ve been there a couple of times just because I like the way it looks. It’s old-school.” Holmon says he’s reached out to owner Matt Ashburn to discuss. He’s waiting to hear back. The way Holmon tells it, a chili bowl-style concept inside the silvery diner could be a win-win for both parties. “For him to put that much money, that much sweat and tears, for it to be empty, I would be willing to work out a partnership with him,” Holmon says. “He owns the building. And I’ve got a sure-fire menu that will sell.”
Photo by Chris Shott