Bellevue – Dick’s Drive-Ins will open its much-anticipated Eastside location in Crossroads Shopping Center in Bellevue. “We are so thrilled to announce our next location,” said Jasmine Donovan, President of Dick’s Drive-Ins and granddaughter of the namesake Dick Spady. “It will be wonderful to be back in Bellevue again after almost 50 years. We can’t wait to build new delicious memories with our customers, employees and the Eastside community.”
In September of 2020, Dick’s announced it was searching for a new location on the Eastside. They asked fans to send them potential sites and vote with their feet when the Dick’s Food Truck visited their cities. “Since we started growing again with our Edmonds location opening in 2011, we’ve really relied on our customers to tell us where our next location should be built,” said Donovan. “First our customers chose north, then they voted South, and we promised we would build on the Eastside next.”
“On behalf of the City of Bellevue, I am pleased to welcome Dick’s Drive-In back to the Eastside!” said Bellevue Mayor Lynne Robinson. “The new restaurant location will be right at home in the thriving Crossroads neighborhood of Bellevue. Like many others in the community, I look forward to enjoying some classic burgers, fries and shakes with family and friends.”
“Dick Spady was a long-time resident of Bellevue, and a friend, who tirelessly engaged community members to facilitate broad civic engagement throughout King County,” said Councilmember Conrad Lee. “Dick’s Drive-In is not only known for good food at low prices, but for investing in its employees and the community. Bellevue welcomes Dick’s Drive-In Restaurants at the new location at Crossroads that represents the return to the City of Bellevue after 50 years. Bellevue is really a big deal, now that we have our very own Dick’s Drive-In!”
In an unusual move the 67-year-old, family-owned company is leasing the space at Crossroads for its eighth restaurant. “We typically buy our real estate,” said Donovan, “But on the Eastside it made more sense to lease, and we were thrilled to find a great partner in Crossroads Shopping Center.”
Stuart Tanz, CEO of ROIC, owner of Crossroads Shopping Center, stated: “We are absolutely thrilled that Dick’s Drive-In is coming to Bellevue and has chosen Crossroads Shopping Center as their new Bellevue home. ROIC proudly has a long tradition of seeking out and bringing popular businesses to Bellevue to help enrich the community. Dick’s Drive-In will be a wonderful addition to Crossroads’ diverse mix of essential, dining and entertainment tenants. Along with all of Bellevue, and greater Seattle, we love Dick’s burgers and can’t wait for them to open!”
Donovan shared, “We hope to be open by the end of 2021. It really depends on the permitting process and the construction process in the world of COVID-19.” The restaurant will look almost identical to existing locations, with customers walking up to service windows on the exterior of the building.
Dick’s Drive-Ins is known not only for its low prices, instant service and quality food, but also for offering the best wages and benefits in the industry including 100% employer paid health insurance for all employees and a $28,000 scholarship for all employees working at least 20 hours a week. “This new location will add close to 50 jobs,” said Donovan. “Some people have wondered why we would continue to grow while we’re still in a pandemic and there’s all this uncertainty. We are proud of the jobs we provide and want to provide more opportunity to people, especially during these challenging times.” All of Dick’s managers are hired from within.
Dick’s Drive-Ins serves a delicious and limited menu of burgers made from fresh-never-frozen USA certified Angus ground beef on fresh and locally made buns, as well as hand-cut fries from Washington potatoes and hand-dipped and individually whipped milkshakes.
Photo Credit: Dick’s Drive-In: Mock-up of the future Dick’s Drive-In