Ben’s Chili Bowl’s Cosby conundrum

It’s a famous policy at the original Ben’s Chili Bowl: Only two people eat free: President Barack Obama and comedian Bill Cosby.

But as Ben’s opens its newest and largest location on H Street NW Wednesday, it has to face the question of what to do about that long-standing association, as accusations of drugging and raping women continue to mount against the comedian.

The Washington City Paper reports the new Ben’s location is noticeably light on any references to Cosby. There are plenty of pictures of the bold-faced names who’ve eaten there, but just one small, non-prominent photo of Cosby.

Ben’s owners are not commenting on whether Cosby was invited to attend the ribbon-cutting, as he did when Ben’s Rosslyn location opened last year.

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