EDMONDS — Strike up the bands — from Edmonds-Woodway and Lynnwood high schools no less — and get ready for a celebration.
Dick’s Drive-In, the iconic Seattle business that serves up deluxe burgers and hand-dipped shakes, will fire up the grills at its first location outside King County on Thursday.
The newest in the string of six Dick’s Drive-Ins, at 21910 Highway 99, will open at 3 p.m. It’s the first new restaurant opened by the chain in 37 years.
The time for the opening ceremony was carefully considered, said Jim Spady, son of the co-founder.
“We’ve got a lot of fans at the local high schools,” he said. “We purposely opened at 3 p.m. so kids could finish up classes at 2 and have plenty of time to be there by 3 if they want to.”
The two local high school bands will be part of the opening ceremonies that Spady promises “will be short and sweet.”
“We understand people are there for the food,” he said. “We won’t keep them waiting long.”
Dick’s co-founder Dick Spady will be on hand to sign memorabilia, including the nostalgic ’50s-style paper hats still worn by Dick’s managers. Blue and orange Edmonds Dick’s construction hats signed by the company’s co-founder will sell for $50, with the proceeds donated to charity.
Dick Spady, who just celebrated his 88th birthday last weekend, kept close tabs on the opening of the Edmonds store, his son said.
“It’s very special for Dad,” he said. “He’s delighted that construction has gone so smoothly. He’s been looking forward to opening day for several months now.”
When family members gathered over the weekend to celebrate his birthday, he peppered them with questions, asking: “Are we ready to open? Do we have our final permits?”
In fact, the drive-in received its last permit on Tuesday from the Snohomish Health District, Jim Spady said.
The chain was founded in Seattle in 1954. Its customers are so loyal, and avid, that the company has its own gift shop, with posters, T-shirts and memory books.
That the drive-in was built in Snohomish County at all is the result of a poll of its customers, asking whether a new Dick’s should be built to the north, east or south of its Seattle base.
The north won, with more than 115,000 votes cast, said Carrie Shaw, a Dick’s spokeswoman.
Originally the organization hoped to have the Edmonds store open on Dick Spady’s birthday last Saturday.
“Valiant efforts were made,” Shaw said. “We had a fabulous construction crew. We weren’t quite able to do it.”
Nevertheless, the restaurant is opening six weeks ahead of the original schedule, she said.
Spady declined to say how much the new Edmonds store cost, but did say it is a multimillion-dollar project. It will employ 35 people.
The Edmonds Dick’s will have the same capacity as the chain’s original store on 45th Street in the Wallingford neighborhood of Seattle, with two grills, he said.
“We built Edmonds with as big a capacity as our flagship restaurant,” he said. “We can create a lot of burgers … Unless a fleet of school buses rolls in, we should be able to keep up with demand.”
Spady said his father is gratified by the customer loyalty that the stores have built on a reputation of good food at a good price. A deluxe burger, the most expensive on the menu, costs $2.70. The menu hasn’t changed since 1974, when it added diet Coke.
“We’ve been in Seattle so long … lots of people identify us with the city,” Jim Spady said. “Every city has its favorite, classic burger joint. We’re lucky enough to be that business in Seattle.”
Sharon Salyer: 425-339 3486; salyer@heraldnet.com.
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