About Dicks Drive-In

Dear Friends,

It seems like yesterday that Warren Ghormley, Dr. B.O.A. "Tom" Thomas, and I created our partnership to build the first Dick's restaurant on N.E. 45th in Seattle's Wallingford District. It was the summer of 1953, and I was 29 years old. I didn't have much money, but I was determined to open a restaurant. I wrote a proposal to my old WW II friend, Warren Ghormley, and he suggested we talk to his wife's boss, Dr. Thomas, U.W.'s first professor of dentistry.

After doing more research and talking it over, we decided to form a partnership and open a new kind of "fast food" restaurant. When we went to the banks for a loan, however, the bankers weren't interested. They would always say something like: "How can you possible expect to make a profit selling 19-cent burgers when restaurants are going under all over the city selling burgers at 30 cents?" The owner of a vacant lot on N.E. 45th was willing to lease us the land, but he was not willing to mortgage his land to build a restaurant.

Finally, we were able to find a contractor who was at least willing to consider building the restaurant in return for our promise to repay him what it cost plus a share of the profits. He was our last hope. However, he said he needed to talk with his banker, accountant, insurance agent, and attorney. Finally, the day came for his decision. As I sat in his office, my heart sank as he told me how his banker and accountant told him that our restaurant would never make a profit, and how his insurance agent and attorney told him that the deal was too risky. Then he said something I'll never forget: "But if I always did everything they told me to do, I'd be working for them in six months." The deal closed, and I was on cloud nine! On January 28, 1954 the first Dick's Drive-In Restaurant opened for business. Today, Dick's on 45th is the oldest fast food restaurant in Washington.

I want to thank all of our customers for the wonderful support over the years. We are all privileged to live together in this outstanding community. Everyone at Dick's is thankful for the opportunity to serve you and to be a small part of what makes this such a great city. Thank you Seattle!

Dick Spady, President
Dick's Drive-In Restaurants, Inc.