The new Dick’s Drive-In Restaurant in Edmonds will open before Thanksgiving.
Construction of the restaurant, located in the Top Food & Drug parking lot on Highway 99 at 220th Street SW, is on time, said Jim Spady, vice president and the son of company co-founder and namesake, Dick Spady.
He said the company plans a grand opening celebration in November after the building is complete and has passed all the necessary inspections.
Last August, Spady announced that Edmonds had won a contest to be the site for the sixth restaurant of the chain. He’s excited about the new location.
“The daytime business is going to be great,” Spady said. “Highway 99 is the busiest (road) we have a store on. Plus it’s close to I-5. Once people know where we are, they will detour for a burger.”
The restaurant will provide jobs for 25 people, Spady said, adding that the hiring process has already begun. People interested in working there should complete an application available at all the existing locations.
“We will be calling back people for interviews and when we find good candidates, we will hire them,” Spady said. He expects to finish hiring employees for the Edmonds location within two to three weeks.
Starting pay is $9.50 per hour with merit raises after that. Dick’s is known for its employee benefits that include 100 percent employer-paid health insurance, $22,000 for college scholarships and subsidized child care even for part-time employees.
The perfect Dick’s employee is at least 16 years old, willing to learn, a hard worker and someone who loves the food. “That’s all you have to do to be successful at Dick’s,” Spady said. “We’ll train people. There are very few people who can’t do the job, but it is hard and physical work with a fast-paced environment.”
Successful candidates will be trained at the other restaurants before the Edmonds opening. It takes about six months to be fully trained in most elements, Spady said.
“We’re just a simple burger, shake and fry business, but it’s complicated,” he added.
Turnover rate at Dick’s is less than 25 percent, he said.
Most separations happen when employees realize the work is not a good fit for them. However, with a quarter of Dick’s workforce attending college, there is a good number who leave the company when they graduate and move on to their preferred career path.
Companywide, there are only 35 career positions within the organization. The other 100 employees work operationally at the restaurants, Spady said.
Mina Williams is a writer for The Weekly Herald.
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