Seattle – Dick’s Drive-In Restaurants, Inc. announced today that the grand opening of its new Edmonds restaurant is set for this Thursday, Oct. 20, at 3:00 PM. The new drive-in, located at 21910 Hwy 99 in Edmonds, is 1 mile west of I-5 off exit 179 at 220th Street SW. The celebration will feature local marching bands, the Orange Ticket contest winners, local dignitaries, and company namesake and co-founder Dick Spady, who turned 88 last weekend.

“We can’t wait to fire up the two grills and give our local fans what they’ve been waiting for – delicious burgers, crispy hand-cut fries and creamy hand-dipped shakes,” said Jim Spady, Dick’s vice president and son of Dick Spady. “The outpouring of support and enthusiasm from the community for our local family business has been humbling and overwhelming. We could not have picked a better place to add 35 new jobs and to start building new friendships and memories.”

In mid-September, the company launched its Orange Ticket contest to select the 13 lucky fans who would be the first in line at the grand opening. Thousands of fans participated online by following clues on Facebook and Twitter that revealed the time and location of each Orange Ticket giveaway. The final ticket was given out on KIRO News Talk Radio 97.3 FM during the Ron and Don Show.

Spady noted that the opening is only 5 months after the groundbreaking and a “good six weeks ahead of schedule.” “A lot of talented and hard working people made this possible. We’re especially grateful to the City of Edmonds, our general manager Ken Frazier, architect Phil Kallsen, our general contractor Schuchart Construction and all of our subcontractors and suppliers,” Spady said.

Several hundred people are expected to attend the opening ceremonies, which will include marching bands from Edmonds-Woodway High School, Lynnwood High School and the Northwest Junior Pipe Band.

The Edmonds drive-in is Dick’s 6th restaurant, the first new Dick’s restaurant in 37 years and the first to open in Snohomish County. The last grand opening celebration was in 1974 for the Queen Anne Dick’s Drive-In. The original Dick’s opened in 1954 on NE 45th Street, a mile west of the University of Washington.