| Industry | Fast food |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1954, Wallingford Neighborhood, Seattle, Washington, USA |
| Key people | Founders: Dick Spady, H. Warren Ghormley, Dr. B. O. A. Thomas |
| Products | Hamburgers, Fries, Shakes, and other fast food. |
| Website | www.ddir.com/ |
Dick's Drive-In, or simply Dick's, is a fast-food restaurant chain located in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 1954, Dick's is Seattle’s oldest, continuously operating fast-food restaurant. Dick's has, according to the Puget Sound Business Journal, attained status as a Seattle icon.[1]
Contents |
Founders Dick Spady, H. Warren Ghormley, and Dr. B. O. A. Thomas opened the first Dick's in 1954 in Seattle's Wallingford neighborhood, on N.E. 45th Street. In 1955, a second Dick's was opened in Seattle's Capitol Hill district. This was followed by a third in 1960 in the Ballard neighborhood, a 4th in 1963 in Lake City, a fifth in Queen Anne in 1974. In September 2010, it was announced that Dick's was planning on opening a new sixth location in the Seattle area and that an online poll on their website would determine the new location.[2] 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.[3] All but the Queen Anne location are without customer seating. The Queen Anne location has indoor tables and no drive-in. The restaurants only accept cash; there are no ways to use electronic forms of payment.
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 Special," which includes lettuce, mayonnaise, and chopped pickles; and the "Dick's Deluxe," a quarter-pound version of the Special, with cheese. These burgers were added in 1971. Cashiers do not accept variations on the burger's preparation, or omissions such as asking for the burger without lettuce, but will serve the Deluxe without cheese.[4]
For several years Dick's has promoted benefits offered to employees such as 401K, medical coverage, and a college tuition scholarship.
It should be noted that there is a Dick's Drive-In [1] in Spokane. Although this drive-in is operated in much the same manner as the Dick's Drive-Ins in Seattle (Spokane's Dick's offers a few more menu items), this Spokane drive-in is not affiliated with the Dick's Drive-Ins of Seattle.