A
moment with ... Dick Spady, local hamburger chain founder
Friday, April 4, 2003
By DAN RICHMAN
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER
Dick Spady, 79, co-founded the first Dick's Drive-In restaurant in 1954,
on Northeast 45th Street in Wallingford. Now, Dick's Drive-In Restaurants
Inc. is a local landmark.
On how Dick's has survived: Dick's is very, very profitable, because
it's a good business. We have a unique niche: We don't have all-inside
seating. When we built our last restaurant, in Queen Anne, that's when
we learned that (inside seating) is much more expensive. We said, "Phooey
to that and we're just going to hunker down."
On how many burgers Dick's has sold: I don't know. We did know
for a while, but we gave up on it.
On social issues: We have a serious disconnect between people
and their governments. We have to build those bridges. In Olympia, I'm
promoting House Bill 1282, a self-funded program that creates a "Citizen
Councilor Network" allowing small-group dialogue and opinion-polling
among citizens and elected representatives.
On eating: I follow (Barry Sears') Zone Diet, and it works for
me. I have absolute control over my body. I eat at Dick's a couple of
times a week. I call it ceremonial eating. When I'm at home, I have soy
milk in the morning and three almonds. That lasts me five hours.
On how to succeed today: You'd better have working capital, because
you can't expect to make it right away. Plus, you've got to believe in
what you're doing. Find a human need and fill it.
On how McDonald's can recover: I'm not interested. I have my own
life to live.
On what not to miss at Dick's: The milkshakes. Best milkshakes
in the world.
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