Local Developers Compete to Create App for Ben's Chili Bowl (Applicist)

The national landmark restaurant on U Street in downtown Washington is having its own app contest, sponsored by Disruptathon, iStrategyLabs and Applicist.

By Avery Fellow | April 9, 2010

Ben's Chili Bowl App Contest

Ben’s Chili Bowl, the national landmark that stayed open during the Washington, D.C. riots in 1968 following the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. and which still serves famous chili dogs, half-smokes and milkshakes, is the subject of a new mobile app contest, pitting local developers in a competition to create the best and most innovative app for the landmark.

The contest kicked off April 5 and concludes with a live Disruptathon on June 20 at Ben’s Next Door restaurant. At the June 20 event, five finalists will have five minutes each to present their app in front of a panel of judges from the D.C. community.

Judges will be given a Disruptathon iPod touch loaded with an app that will ask them questions about the finalists’ products. Judges will rate the apps on ease of use, ranging from "Heartburn," the lowest rating, to "Piece of Cake," the highest rating and rate how "Spicy" the app is overall, from "Super Mild" to "Super Hot."

"The idea is to have some fun while innovators present their apps," said Pete Erickson, founder of the Disruptathon innovation series discovery platform and a sponsor of the event.

Erickson said up to 15 judges will participate in the contest. "We haven’t released the names of the judges yet," Erickson said, "but they will be several key individuals from the D.C. community."

The winner will create the final app used for Ben’s Chili Bowl.

The contest is sponsored by Ben’s Chili Bowl, iStrategy Labs, Applicist and Disruptathon.