Dick’s Drive-in announces opening of 11th WA location

Dick’s Drive-In Restaurants announced Wednesday that its newest burger joint will be located on the Tulalip Reservation.

Dick’s 11th restaurant will be situated across from the Quil Ceda Creek Casino, west of I-5 at exit 199, Dick’s Drive-In announced.

“It is such a pleasure to work with the Tulalip Tribe on this restaurant,” said Jasmine Donovan, President and CEO of Dick’s Drive-In Restaurants. “It’s wonderful to partner with a community that shares our values and understands multigenerational stewardship.”

Dick’s Drive-In brings 70 years of classics to Tulalip

The Dick’s grand opening in Tulalip will bring some of its classic staples to the community that the company has been known for over the last 70 years, including its fresh-never-frozen beef, hand-cut fries made from Washington potatoes, and its hand-dipped, individually whipped milkshakes.

“Dick’s Drive-In has been a beloved Pacific Northwest institution for more than 70 years, and we are honored to welcome them as a new business to Tulalip,” said Tulalip Tribe Board of Directors Chairman Hazen Shopbell. “This partnership reflects shared values of community investment, quality employment, and long-term regional growth.”

The company noted that with the addition of its Tulalip drive-in, Dick’s is continuing its sustainable regional growth model, which reflects the company’s long-standing commitment to serving communities across the Puget Sound area.

The new restaurant will be part of the continued development throughout the Tulalip and Marysville area and will provide a new gathering place for customers, both new and old, and the surrounding community.

“We look for locations where Dick’s can become part of the fabric of the community,” Donovan said. “This site gives us the chance to serve longtime customers, welcome new ones, and build something that reflects the strength and future of the Tulalip community.”

Additional details, including construction timelines and the official opening date, will be announced as they become available.

How Dick’s became a PNW staple with a 19-cent burger

Founded by Dick Spady, Warren Ghormley, and Dr. B.O.A. “Thom” Thomas, Dick’s Drive-In opened on January 28, 1954. In those days, the restaurant invited customers to exit their cars and order food at the window through a quick-service model that Dick’s claimed “many people doubted would work in a rainy city.”

Dick’s opened by offering 19-cent burgers, despite the average price of a burger being roughly 35 cents across town at the time. The first Dick’s Drive-In grand opening was delayed by one of Seattle’s worst blizzards, which dumped more than 20 inches of snow on the city.

Once the weather cleared up, the Wallingford Dick’s Drive-In opened on Jan. 28 and was immediately embraced by Seattle, a trend that continues to this day.

“That detail is still fitting today, because part of Dick’s anniversary tradition includes Seattle weather,” Dick’s Drive-In stated. “Every year, people show up in the January conditions with the same enthusiasm Dick’s customers brought in 1954, proving that burgers and community can outlast a little cold.”

Dick’s Drive-In currently operates 10 brick-and-mortar locations across the Puget Sound region, including Bellevue, Edmonds, Everett, Kent, Federal Way, and five in Seattle.

Dick’s also operates a food truck, bringing “Seattle’s favorite burgers, shakes, and chips — on the move.” The Dick’s food truck can be found at local farmers’ markets, festivals, and private parties across the Puget Sound.

“From neighborhood block parties to company picnics — or even the wedding of your dreams — we’ll bring the orange glow, the sizzle, and that unmistakable classic taste right to you,” Dick’s stated.

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