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Member Profile: Eat at Dick's - A Seattle Legacy & Heirloom |
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Written On: Spring 2003 |
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Written By: By Scott Carlson |
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The year was 1953. The United States had just come out of two major wars and rock and roll was blasting its way into American culture. Serving his country in the United States Navy and Air Force Reserve during this time, Richard Spady and his World War II buddy, Warren Ghormley, were on their way to Dr. B.O.A. “Tom” Thomas’ office at the University of Washington. What would come of this meeting would change the way generations spent their Friday and Saturday nights in the Emerald City.
Spady, Ghormley and Thomas formed a partnership and agreed to open a drive-in restaurant in Seattle. However, opening a fast food restaurant in the city was not as easy as the three men first thought.
Bankers, real estate agents and lawyers stood in their way telling them it could not be done.
“How can you possibly expect to make a profit selling hamburgers for 19 cents?” asked one banker after another.
Nothing could deter the men from accomplishing their goal. They even paid a restaurant owner to let them flip burgers and make milkshakes in his place to get a feel for the profession.
“If you’re an entrepreneur and you don’t believe in what you’re doing, you’re not going to make it,” Spady said.
After what seemed a dead end of rejections, the men were given their break, and on January 28, 1954, the first Dick’s Drive-in Restaurant opened its doors for business on 45th Avenue in northeast Seattle. They were beaten by two months at becoming the first fast food restaurant to open in Washington and Oregon.
Snowstorm Halts Feast Day
Tragedy struck only days later, as a massive snowstorm closed down the restaurant and perhaps the whole city.
“We spent a few days shoveling snow,” Spady said. “We didn’t know if we were going to make it.”
The restaurant did survive the great snowstorm that threatened to put them under before they were even on top.
Since the snow has melted away years ago, young women have said “yes” to marriage proposals, high school boys have gotten their first kiss, young men have shown off their muscle cars, and all in the parking lot of a Dick’s somewhere in Seattle, Washington.
It wasn’t until 41 years later that the chain of small classic burger joint restaurant chain would be bought out by the Spady family. Not much changed, however. The company’s philosophy always was, and still is, to serve good food for a low price in a short time, explained Jim Spady, Richard’s son and current vice president of Dick’s five drive-in restaurants.
“We will not compromise quality for quantity,” Jim said.
Both Richard and Jim Spady believe this is what keeps most customers coming back time and time again.
“Even when we lived in Oregon, the main attraction of a visit to Seattle was a stop or two at Dick’s,” recalls Mary Jane Mickels in a 40th anniversary book of memories from Dick’s.
Great tasting food and low prices may bring customers back, but Jim believes employees also have a lot to do with their customer’s repeat visits.
“We hire the best people we can,” Jim said. “Your employees are your business.”
Dick’s Employees 120
Dick’s 120 employees can take advantage of high wages, regular pay raises, health insurance, paid time off for community service and even a scholarship fund.
“It’s always been our policy to pay the highest wages, have the best benefits, and to treat our employees the way they deserve to be treated, and in return, they treat our customers the way they deserve to be treated,” Jim said. “That brings customers back, week after week, year after year.”
It doesn’t take a lot to get a job at Dick’s, Jim said. All it takes is a willingness to work hard and learn your job well.
With a menu like Dick’s, this may not be that hard, said the Interlake High School graduate.
The 48-year-old drive-in has always had a very small menu with very few changes over the decades.
“We don’t do chicken or fish, we don’t have four sizes of fries, and we don’t have 10 sizes of drinks,” he said. “We’ve focused on doing a few things well.”
This way of business will remain the same for the time being.
Neither Jim nor his father know in which direction the restaurant will grow. No indoor seating has always been a characteristic of the chain, even when other burger joints began offering consumers a place to sit and eat inside.
“Everyone else had indoor seating and their prices were higher because of it,” Richard said.
Of the five Dick’s Drive-ins open in Seattle, only one of them has indoor seating. This is what keeps their prices down, says Richard.
Another aspect of the chain that is yet to be changed is the locale of the restaurants. There are currently no Dick’s outside of Seattle. However, with the 50th anniversary coming up and another Dick’s on the horizon, this may or may not change, Jim said.
There isn’t a counter on the sign saying, “100 million served.” The Spady’s do not like discussing hard numbers concerning the amount of business they do or how many burgers they serve in any given time. The only hint at how successful the business is was given humbly and modestly, like both father and son are …
“We do good business for a small business,” Richard concluded.
From the day it opened and until the restaurant‘s dynasty ends, Dick’s will still be a place to see and a place to be seen for both Seattleites and visitors to the Pacific Northwest City.
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