MEMORIES: Romantic

Burgers and fries on a hot summer night, and two straws poking out of a milkshake. With all those cars full of kids there was bound to be some flirting at Dick's. Some of you even met your true love there and got married. One couple stopped at Dick's on the way to their wedding. Another served Dick's cheeseburgers on a silver tray at the wedding banquet. And some guy actually proposed in the parking lot. Holy cow! There must be something magical in the shakes!

Grandprize Co-Winners

For my parents: Jim and Sandy Bertrand
My favorite Dick's memory is not my own memory but on in which if it did not exist I would not have any of my own memories. It's my parents' memory that I'm talking about, one I've listened to since I was old enough to listen. It is the story of my parents' first meeting. It is the story of two people who meet for the first time at Dick's, and three years after their first meeting they decided to get married.

It was the summer of 1957. My dad-to-be and his best friend were out on the prowl and where else would they go for a coke and fries but Dick's? They pulled up next to a car and saw their prey-two women. After the guys had decided who would take who, they made their move. My mom to be was the passenger. When my dad-to-be asked for her phone number she told him to look it up because she was the only Wogherg in the book, and she truly was.

October 25, 1993 will be my parents' 33rd wedding anniversary and for 35 years they have been telling people where they met. As a tribute to the most wonderful parents in the world and the best place for a coke and fries please pick my memory of my parents' memory!
Karen Cononetz Age: 27

In the right place at the right time
We met on Halloween night 1987. It was 1:50am and we were at Dick's Drive-In on 45th. Considering they close at 2 am, we're lucky we met. I was in line with a friend when an extremely drunk man approached and asked if I had a boyfriend. As luck would have it, at that very moment four attractive men got in line behind us. My eyes landed on one in particular and I instinctively grabbed him and blurted out "This is my boyfriend!" Fortunately, he played right along and put his arm around me! The inebriated man soon staggered off and my friend and I were left standing with the four young men. My "boyfriend," David, got my phone number and the rest is history! I definitely made the right choice-we were married June 12, 1991!
David and Carrie Clogston Age: 30 & 27

Romantic Memories Runners-up

Forget the wedding banquet, just take us to Dick's
On my first date with my husband-to-be, I was introduced to Dick's. My husband was well acquainted with Dick's, but I was new to the area. We visited the Dick's on Capitol Hill and enjoyed standing there watching the people.

On our wedding night, we went back to the Dick's on Capitol Hill. We hadn't had a chance to eat all day and we were famished. We quickly changed clothes and were at Dick's half an hour after our reception ended. We took a bag of food back to our room and were content. Everyone at our reception had a wonderful catered dinner, but our wedding feast from Dick's was the best entree that night!
Kelly Smiley Age: 25

He helped her see the light.
It had been an uneventful Saturday night that February 3, 1961, at the University of Washington Hub dance for me and my girlfriend Susan (meaning we hadn't met any new guys). So we decided to check out Dick's Drive-In on 45th and see what was happening there. As we pulled in on the west side of the building in my turquoise and white 1955 Chevy Bel-Air, we parked next to a pink and white 1956 Ford Crown Victoria with three good-looking guys! Pay dirt!

However, as we proceeded to order and eat our burgers and fries, these guys wouldn't make a move. They looked, we looked, but no action. We decided it was hopeless and started out of the parking lot. But as we did that, the guys followed.

Turning west on to 45th I had to make a decision as to how to stop in order to talk to these fellows. I was on my own turf, having graduated from Lincoln High School the previous June, and knew of a nearby dead-end street. I turned and coasted to the curb. The driver of the other car came over and asked if I was having car trouble. I told him yes, that my lights had gone out all of a sudden. He immediately leaned into the car, pulled the light switch on, and said "Does this help?"

After some discussion as to how my lights went out, and a few good laughs, we headed back to Dick's. We sat talking for some time and learned the three guys had also gone to the University of Washington dance and made their trip to Dick's afterwards.

The driver of the Crown Victoria was named Gary. He called me the next day, we dated for three months, became engaged, and married on February 24, 1962. In our 31 years of marriage we have spent many reunions in "our spot" at Dick's on 45th, reminiscing and eating our favorite burgers and fries!
Debora Bourne Age: 51

The summer of 62': a white Corvair, a lovely lady and Dick's
It was a warm, evening and summer vacation was just under way. I was out for the evening with a few friends, 4 guys and 2 gals, and all of us looking for something to do. I had never met either of the young ladies before and as the evening progressed I found an opportunity to speak with both of them. Later in the evening we all were sitting in front of the Lake City Dick's and the young lady I found to be most interesting and I found ourselves alone. As we talked to each other I began to realize that besides possessing "drop dead" looks, she also had a fun and interesting mind. We seemed to share the same wave lengths, and before the evening was over I had agreed to call her the next day to make plans for a date.

At the end of our date the next evening we visited the same Dick's. Throughout that summer I shared my life between a 61' white Corvair, with red guts, baby moons and two red racing stripes running down the driver's side, a fun lovely lady and the Lake City Dick's. Money was always tight when you're in high school and drive-ins seemed to fit the budget best. There may have been other drive-ins around North Seattle, but Dick's seemed to be our place of choice. Sometimes we would buy burgers and drive out somewhere by Lake Washington to eat them; sometimes we ate them when they were hot, sometimes we ate them when they were cold. Sometimes they were taken home and consumed a lot, lot later.

The summer passed and I went off to school in the south and my summer love moved on to bigger and betters things. When I returned at the end of spring she had disappeared and try as hard as I might, I never found her again. I had lost, her but I still had Dick's the place still looks the same and if I try real hard, it's 1962 and I am back in a 61' Corvair with the best looking girl from Ballard High. I can only hope that if and when she eats at Dick's she remembers that summer as fondly as I do.
Paul Shadinger Age: 49

Twenty years later she took him back to Dick's for lunch
In January 1968, I attended a high school sock hop and afterwards, went to the Bellevue Dick's for hamburgers with a fellow sophomore. It was my first date with him and we shared this date with his friend since they were carpooling.

After that date we spent many evenings eating hamburgers and fries at Dick's in Bellevue.

In July 1992, I rented a limousine, wore a 20 year old dress and took this same guy to Dick's for lunch. It was our 20th wedding anniversary!

P.S. The old dress was my wedding gown.
Sally Otten Age: 41

Let's elope tonight, dear. Okay, but can we stop at Dick's first?
March 3, 1955, presented Seattle with one of its worst snow storms in years. Traffic was snarled and workers frantically headed for home as conditions worsened. I left my job in downtown Seattle around noon, arriving home via a circuitous route of bus travel and walking. I was cold, wet and exhausted, but nothing could dampen my spirits on this day of days!

My soon-to-be husband David worked for Boeing and had a tortuously slow drive on snow-packed streets to his Capitol Hill boarding house (at one point driving on sidewalks to circumvent stalled cars). However, through sheer determination he managed to arrive at his room, change clothes, pick up his best man and then me and my maid of honor at the appointed time of 6:00. This was our ELOPEMENT NIGHT, and we had made arrangements to be at the Trinity Lutheran Church at 7:00.

Having been so preoccupied with our individual problems in getting home, none of us had eaten lunch and all were very hungry. We quickly decided that Dick's Drive-In on Broadway was the perfect place for a pre-wedding dinner, partly because it was within minutes of my apartment and the Lutheran Church, partly because we had little time and we knew we would be fed immediately, but perhaps mostly because we thought hamburgers and fries fitted the spirit of our simple wedding.

Yea, we made it to the church on time! Thirty-eight years later, we still vividly remember that snowy March 3rd, our quickly-served delicious hamburgers and fries at Dick's, and the booming voice of the minister ceremoniously speaking to an empty sanctuary, except for we four joyful people, clad in our best suits and dresses, topped with ski parkas and snow boots. All in all, a perfect wedding!
Jeane Banks

It takes more than a Limo to keep your date happy
This may sound more like a dream than a memory but it happened about five years ago. One night at about midnight, my friend and I, who were both students at Blanchet, pulled into Dick's on 45th. It being Spring time (and a Saturday night) it just so happened that Roosevelt High School was having its Senior Prom. With that in mind, I wasn't too surprised when the long, black limousine pulled into the parking lot right after us.

I was surprised, however, when a girl in a lovely dress jumped out and hurried to the counter directly in front of me. By her red eyes and streaking mascara it was evident she had been crying. When it came time for her to pay, she realized that she was a dollar short of her order. Graciously I offered her a buck and was rewarded with a tired and anxious yet authentic smile. "Wow," I thought to myself, "She's really pretty," and gave her a smile in return.

As we stepped to the side of the line I offered to help wipe the makeup off of her face. She thanked me and then suddenly burst into tears. I was quite concerned and did my best to help her calm down. As she did, she explained that her night was going miserably and that her date was the biggest jerk she had ever been out with. I was quite speechless (not to mention captivated by her appearance) and simply stood there looking into her eyes.

When the horn of the limo sounded, she reluctantly told me, "I don't want to get back in there, but I guess I have to," and turned to go back to her failed date. Figuring I had nothing to lose, I called after her "You know, my friend and I were just heading back to his house to watch a movie. If you want, you're welcome to come along." Unbelievably, she said, "Just a minute," and ran back to the limo. I don't know exactly what she said to her date, but when we left Dick's that night, she was with us-prom dress and all. Five years later Jennifer and I are still dating and have a wonderful relationship. Thanks Dick's
Benjamin Camp Age: 21

Cheeseburgers on a silver platter
We had a very nice formal church wedding at St. Michelle winery in Woodinville with al the trimmings including an 8 year old cousin with a silver platter handing out Dick's cheese burgers to all who would appreciate them. And were they a hit!
Mike Steckler Age: 39

Starting the marriage off right
My husband and I were married on September 1, 1990. After a beautiful wedding and reception held at the Smith Tower in Seattle, we retired to go to our First Night of Our Married Life Together. We arrived at 7:00 at the bed and breakfast whose name I shall not mention here given the circumstances we encountered. After ringing the bell and knocking on the door in the middle of one of Seattle's September rainstorms, we realized that no one was there to let us in . After a bit of debate, we went back to our apartment to decide what to do. We couldn't stay at our place because all the out-of-towners were planning on staying there. So we hauled out the phone book and started calling every hotel on the list. But, remember, this was Labor Day weekend, Bumbershoot was going on, etc. Finally, after calling alphabetically, we found a small room available at the Meany Tower Hotel in the University District. On the way there, we realized that we were quite hungry since the last food we had was at the reception many hours ago. So we stopped at the ever faithful Dick's on 45th, and smuggled two Deluxes, two fries with tartar and cokes into our hotel room. It was fabulous, as always. The perfect wedding feast! We no longer live in Seattle but always make a Dick's run before heading out of town!
Amanda & Brian Smith Age: 27 & 27

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