Dick's Drive-In facts for kids
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| Private | |
| Industry | Restaurants |
| Genre | Fast food |
| Founded | 1954 Wallingford, Seattle, Washington, U.S. |
| Founders | Dick Spady H. Warren Ghormley B. O. A. Thomas |
| Headquarters | Seattle, Washington, U.S. |
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Number of locations
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9 |
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Key people
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Jasmine Donovan (President, CFO) |
| Products | Hamburgers, fries, shakes, sodas, and ice cream. |
| Revenue | US$18 million (2021) |
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Number of employees
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270 (2021) |
Dick's Drive-In Restaurants, Inc., often called just Dick's, is a popular chain of fast-food restaurants. You can find them in the Seattle metropolitan area in Washington, USA. It all started in 1954 in Seattle's Wallingford neighborhood. Three people, Dick Spady, H. Warren Ghormley, and Dr. B.O.A. Thomas, founded it. Today, Dick's has nine locations. Most of them are "drive-ins," meaning you order and pick up your food from your car.
The Story of Dick's Drive-In
The very first Dick's opened its doors on January 28, 1954. It was in the Wallingford area of Seattle. The building was designed by a famous architect named Raymond Peck. His unique design for this first restaurant has been used for almost all other Dick's locations since then.
A grand opening celebration happened on February 20, 1954. Just a year later, in 1955, a second Dick's opened in Seattle's Capitol Hill area. More locations followed:
- 1960: Crown Hill
- 1963: Lake City
- 1965: Bellevue (This was the first one outside Seattle!)
The Bellevue location closed in 1974. This was because a new restaurant with indoor seating opened nearby. Soon after, in 1974, the Queen Anne location opened. This Queen Anne spot is special because it's the only one with indoor tables. All the other Dick's restaurants are just for drive-in or walk-up orders.
The menu at Dick's has stayed pretty much the same over the years. They serve classic fast-food items. These include hamburgers, fresh-cut french fries, and milkshakes made one by one. Dick's is especially famous for its "Dick's Deluxe" burger. It comes with lettuce, mayonnaise, and chopped pickles.
You can't ask for changes to your order at Dick's. Burgers are always cooked "well done." For a long time, the only choices were the Deluxe without cheese or fries without salt. But now, you can also order plain hamburgers and cheeseburgers.
Dick's is known for taking good care of its employees. For many years, they have offered great benefits. These include:
- A 50% match on their 401(k) retirement savings.
- Medical insurance paid 100% by the company.
- A college tuition scholarship, which is currently $28,000. Employees can get this after working for six months.
In 2013, a website called Esquire.com voted Dick's Drive-In "the most life-changing burger joint in America."
In 2010, Dick's announced plans for a new location. It would be their first new one in over 30 years! They let the public vote online to pick the new spot. The area north of Seattle won the vote. On October 15, 2010, Dick's announced the new location would be in Edmonds. It opened on October 20, 2011, earlier than expected.
In 2017, Dick's held another poll for its seventh location. People voted for either the Eastside or South King County. Over 177,000 people voted, and most chose the South region. Many cities were considered, like Kent and Federal Way. On September 7, 2017, they announced the seventh location would be in Kent. It opened on December 12, 2018.
In September 2020, Dick's started a food truck. It serves five locations in Western Washington chosen by public vote. These cities include Bellevue and Everett. Dick's also said they would open a new restaurant on the Eastside. In December 2021, an Eastside location opened in Bellevue.
On April 28, 2022, Dick's announced a ninth location. It will be in Federal Way at The Commons at Federal Way shopping center. This new spot opened on July 27, 2023.
Where to Find Dick's
Here are the current and upcoming Dick's Drive-In locations:
- Wallingford (opened January 28, 1954)
- Capitol Hill (opened 1955)
- Crown Hill (opened 1957)
- Lake City (opened 1963)
- Bellevue (opened 1965; closed 1974)
- Lower Queen Anne (opened 1974)
- Edmonds (opened October 20, 2011)
- Kent (opened December 12, 2018)
- Bellevue Crossroads (opened December 16, 2021)
- Federal Way at The Commons at Federal Way (opened July 27, 2023)
- Everett (opening in 2025)
It's important to know there's another "Dick's Hamburgers" in Spokane. It's also a drive-in, but it's not connected to the Dick's Drive-In chain in Seattle.
See also
- List of hamburger restaurants
