Would you like to see a Dick’s Drive-In restaurant in Redmond or a neighboring community?
After 36 years and millions of burgers and fries, Seattle’s famed Dick’s Drive-In Restaurants today announced plans to build a new drive-in somewhere in the Seattle metro area by calling on customers and fans to help select the next location.
To register your top pick for the new restaurant location, go to DicksDriveIn.com and take the instant poll.
The expansion is the first new Dick’s Drive-In for the company since the Queen Anne location of Dick’s opened in 1974.
“We are very excited to make this historic expansion after 36 years,” said Jim Spady, vice president of Dick’s Drive-Ins and son of co-founder and namesake, Dick Spady.
“And we want to involve our customers and the community, asking everyone to help us find the best location for our next restaurant. We’re looking to the north, south and east of our
current five Seattle locations to make it more convenient for customers to enjoy our famous burgers, fries, and shakes,” Spady said.
Dick’s Drive-Ins is known for having the region’s highest wages and employee benefits within the fast food industry, including college scholarships of up to $18,000 per employee.
“Taking care of our employees is one of the key foundations of our business,” said Dick Spady, president and co-founder of Dick’s. “This community has been so good to us for 56 years. We’re grateful to be in a position where we can create more jobs
during a time when good jobs are hard to find.”
Dick, who turns 87 in October, recalled how great it was to launch a successful business after being repeatedly told by local bankers that he couldn’t possibly make a profit selling 19 cent burgers because there were restaurants all over Seattle selling
burgers for 30 cents and losing money.
“After 56 years, hiring tens of thousands of employees, and providing over $1 million to our employees in college scholarships, I’m glad we didn’t listen to those who told us ‘it wouldn’t work.’ Quality food, served quickly at low prices was a great idea in 1954 and it still is,” Dick stated.
The first Dick’s Drive-In opened on NE 45th Street in Wallingford on January 28th, 1954.
Burgers were 19 cents, fries 11 cents, and shakes 21 cents.
Dick’s Drive-Ins still use fresh beef and buns that have never been frozen, hand-cut fries from real potatoes, and they still hand-dip and individually whip their shakes.
According to a press release, this tradition of quality will continue at the new restaurant.
To join the official Dick’s Drive-In Facebook burger community, go to facebook.com/dicksdrivein.
