Dick's Drive-In Queen Anne

On January  28, 1954, Dick Spady (1923-2016) and his partners opened the first Dick’s Drive-In in Seattle’s Wallingford neighborhood, with the goal of offering a ‘classic meal’ of a burger, steak, and fries at a drive-through facility. Next came Dick’s Drive-In restaurants on Broadway, on Holman Road, and in Lake City. Dick’s Drive-Ins have become the longest continually operated fast-food restaurants in the Pacific Northwest. In 2012, Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn issued a Proclamation naming Dick’s Drive-In Day. Dick Spady: A Life of Vision and Values documents his life and times.

In 1974, Dick’s Queen Anne place opened at 500 Queen Anne Avenue N. — the original site of the Motor-In Market grocery store (which opened in 1930).  It became the first and only Dick’s Drive-In location to feature indoor seating.

In 2013, Dick’s celebrated its 60th anniversary and published 60 Years of Memories, a book featuring recollections by folks of all ages. Among Queen Anne stories: *

78-year-old Gretchen Swanson recalls “As a regular customer at Dick’s on Queen Anne, my biggest thrill was seeing Governor Gary Locke and his wife Mona Lee eating hamburgers just like the rest of us.”

Others remember shared special moments at Dick’s before and after attending events at Seattle Center and the Coliseum/Climate Pledge Arena.

Former defensive superstar Richard Sherman of the Seattle Seahawks visited the Queen Anne Dick’s on Veterans Day 2012.

Reference:  "Dick's Dynasty:  Taking over from his dad, Jim Spady '83 kept Seattle's favorite burger joint jumping" (University of Washington Magazine March 2021)