Dick's Drive-In

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Dick's Drive-In Restaurants, Inc., or simply Dick's, is an American regional chain of fast-food restaurants located in the Seattle metropolitan area. It was founded in Seattle's Wallingford neighborhood in 1954 by Dick Spady, H. Warren Ghormley, and Dr. B.O.A. Thomas. Template:As of, Dick's has ten locations, of which all but one are drive-ins.

History

Dick's original location in Wallingford on a summer night

Founders Dick Spady, H. Warren Ghormley, and Dr. B. O. A. Thomas opened the first Dick's on January 28, 1954, in Seattle's Wallingford neighborhood. Located on N.E. 45th Street, the restaurant was designed by noted Seattle architect Raymond Peck, whose iconic design for the original location has been replicated at all future locations except Queen Anne.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="Ray Peck">Template:Cite web</ref> A grand opening was held on February 20, 1954.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 1955, a second Dick's was opened in Seattle's Capitol Hill district.<ref name="HIP">Template:Cite book</ref> This was followed by a third in 1960 in the Crown Hill neighborhood, a 4th in 1963 in Lake City, and ventured outside of Seattle's city limits for the first time to Bellevue in 1965. The Bellevue location is the only location to have closed, shuttering its doors in 1974 as a Herfy's opened across the street with indoor seating. Shortly after the closure of the Bellevue location, the Queen Anne location opened in 1974.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="HIP"/> All but the Queen Anne location are without customer seating. The Queen Anne location has indoor tables and no drive-in.<ref name="HistoryLink">Template:Cite web</ref>

The simple menu has changed little over time. It features fast-food staples such as hamburgers, hand-cut french fries, and individually made milkshakes. Dick's is particularly well known for the "Dick's Deluxe," which includes lettuce, mayonnaise, and chopped pickles. No substitutions are allowed and all burgers are cooked to well done. For most of Dick's history, the only available omissions were the Deluxe without cheese or fries without salt.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> More recent menu changes, however, allow ordering plain versions of the hamburger and cheeseburger.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

A black-and-white photograph of the Capitol Hill location of Dick's Drive-In, circa 1955.
The Capitol Hill location in 1955

For several years Dick's has offered employee benefits such as a 50% matched 401(k), 100% employer-paid medical insurance, and a college tuition scholarship (currently at $28,000) accessible after six months of employment.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> In 2013, Dick's Drive-In was voted "the most life-changing burger joint in America" in an Esquire.com poll.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The Spady family acquired the remaining stakes owned by the other two partners and began to plan for expansion.<ref name="HistoryLink"/> In September 2010, it was announced that Dick's was planning on opening its first new location in over 30 years, and an online poll on their website would determine the new location.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> After a few weeks of polling, the area north of Seattle won the right for a new Dick's Drive-In. On October 15, 2010, Dick's officials announced the new location to be in Edmonds on the corner of Hwy 99 and 220th St.<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref> On October 20, 2011, the 6th location in Edmonds opened to the public.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The opening occurred multiple weeks ahead of schedule.

In 2017, Dick's launched another poll to determine its seventh location, which would be located either on the Eastside or in South King County.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Over 177,000 participants cast their votes, with the majority favoring the South region.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Locations being considered included Kent, West Seattle, South Seattle, Renton, Burien, SeaTac, Tukwila, Auburn, Normandy Park, Des Moines and Federal Way.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> After an extensive amount of time, it was announced on September 7, 2017, that the 7th location to the chain would be located in Kent on Highway 99,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Template:Convert south of Sea-Tac Airport. The location opened on December 12, 2018.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In September 2020, Dick's announced that it would launch a food truck to serve five locations in Western Washington that were chosen through a public poll: Bellevue, Bellingham, Everett, Renton, and West Seattle. The restaurant also announced that it would be expanding to the Eastside once a suitable location is found.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

File:DicksQueenAnne.jpg
Dick's Drive-in in Queen Anne

A collaboration with local chef Edouardo Jordan of Salare and JuneBaby was also announced with a three-day popup event at the Queen Anne location.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In December 2021, Dick's opened an Eastside location at the Crossroads Shopping Center in Bellevue.<ref name=vinh>Template:Citation</ref> Dick's then announced on April 28, 2022, that it would open a ninth location at The Commons shopping center in Federal Way in 2023.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> A tenth location, in Everett, opened on June 12, 2025, and is the chain's northernmost restaurant.<ref name="Times-Everett">Template:Cite news</ref>

Locations

There is also an unrelated Dick's Hamburgers restaurant in Spokane.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Although this is a drive-in, operated in much the same manner as the Seattle chain (and with a larger menu), it is not affiliated with Dick's Drive-In.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> It was founded in 1954 and renamed to Dick's in 1967.<ref name="HistoryLink"/>

  • Seattle-native rapper Sir Mix-a-Lot places a scene of his 1988 song "Posse on Broadway" at Dick's on Capitol Hill, describing it as a hangout for the rich and cool.<ref name="HIP"/><ref>Marino, Nick. "Geek Love: Sir Mix-A-Lot". CMJ New Music Monthly (May 2002)</ref>
  • Since 2017, Dick's has sponsored a "Seattle House" at the annual South by Southwest music festival in Austin, Texas, providing a venue for PNW musicians, artists, and creators to meet, perform, grab at bite to eat, and feel at home in their journey halfway across the country.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

See also

References

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Template:Fast-food chains of the United States Template:Restaurants in Seattle

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