Seattle – Dick’s Drive-In Restaurants is hoping customer’s spare change adds up to big support for local homeless children and their families this holiday season. The famed restaurant chain announced today that all customer donations through the Change For Charity program will focus on this critical need during December.

“Many families with children continue to struggle in our community,” said Jim Spady, vice president for Dick’s Drive-Ins, “homelessness is especially bitter for children during the Christmas season, so that is why we’ve decided to focus customer donations on this cause.”

Since 1998, Dick’s Change For Charity program has raised over $500,000 in donations from customers who drop their change in the little collection boxes at Dick’s 6 local restaurants including the new restaurant in Edmonds.

“The success of the program is a testament to the generosity of our customers and we want to thank each and every customer who ever made a donation,” Spady said.

2011 included the largest single monthly donation in March when over $21,000 was collected to aid the earthquake and tsunami relief effort in Japan.

“We’re hoping those little change boxes will add up to an even bigger impact this December to house homeless kids in our community,” Spady said.

Change For Charity boxes are located at the Wallingford, Broadway, Holman Road, Lake City, Queen Anne, and the new Dick’s Drive-In in Edmonds.

In addition, Dick’s Drive-In plans to match customer donations from December 2010 in the form of a company donation to its other charity organizations serving homeless men and women. Spady added that the matching donations for this month will include an appropriate adjustment from the new Edmonds location since that drive-in was not open in December 2010.

Seattle – Dick’s Drive-In Restaurants, Inc. announced today free hamburgers and cheeseburgers in honor of Veterans Day, Friday, Nov. 11. Free burgers will be served throughout the day at all 6 Dick’s Drive-In Restaurants to any veteran or active military member as a way to honor past and present military service.

Dick Spady, co-founder and president of Dick’s Drive-In Restaurants, is also a veteran of two wars and Dick’s Drive-Ins supports the local USO at Sea-Tac Airport and Joint Base Lewis McChord. “I served in the Navy in World War II and the Air Force during the Korean War. My wife was in the Navy when we met and now I have a granddaughter serving in the Navy. Our family holds a deep respect and admiration for our veterans and active military members. They deserve our recognition and gratitude,” Spady says.

Beginning at 10:30 a.m. until closing on Veterans Day, all veterans and active duty military members who can show any form of military identification or wear their military uniform will receive one free hamburger or cheeseburger at all 6 Dick’s Drive-In Restaurants in Wallingford, Broadway, Holman Road, Lake City, Queen Anne, and at the recently opened Edmonds location.

Spady celebrated his 88th birthday in Oct. just days before the grand opening of the company’s first new restaurant in 37 years in Edmonds. Over 800 people attended the grand opening ceremony and customers flocked to the new drive-in, smashing records for most burgers sold and total sales for a single day.

“We’ve got very enthusiastic fans and we hope they’ll extend that same enthusiasm in helping us share our gratitude to the community’s vets and active military members,” Spady says.

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Seattle – Dick’s Drive-In Restaurants, Inc. announced today that its new Edmonds restaurant smashed the previous all-time records for most burgers sold and total sales. On Friday, Edmonds fans consumed more burgers in a single day at a single restaurant in the company’s 57-year history – and by over 30 percent! Since the grand opening Thursday, Oct. 20, at 3:00 PM, hungry fans have broken hourly sales records and burgers sold, and set a new record for total sales for a single day.

“This is truly amazing and beyond anything that we had anticipated,” said Jim Spady, vice president of Dick’s Drive-In Restaurant, and son of co-founder Dick Spady, “We’ve been out talking with burger fans in the Edmonds lines, and neither rain, nor two-hour waits, deterred people from setting their sights on Dick’s delicious burgers, fries, and shakes.”

Spady added that on opening day, the Edmonds restaurant came close to running out of buns. “We had to make a couple of bun runs to other drive-ins to keep the burgers going. Our Edmonds team did an amazing job keeping up with the thousands of orders,” Spady said.

On opening day last Thursday, the drive-in started serving food around 3:30 PM. Hourly records for burgers sold and total sales were smashed and the new restaurant came only 120 burgers short of the all-time record after being open for only 10 hours.

“We knew that Friday would be a big day since we would be open for the full 15 and a-half hours, but we didn’t think it would be that big – breaking the all-time record by over 30 percent,” Spady said.

The previous record for total burgers sold on a single day by a single drive-in happened on December 23, 2010 at the Wallingford restaurant on NE 45th Street.

The new Edmonds Dick’s Drive-In is located at 21910 Hwy 99 in Edmonds 1-mile west of I-5 off exit 179 at 220th Street SW. It is Dick’s 6th restaurant, the first new Dick’s restaurant in 37 years, and the first to open in Snohomish County.

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.

WHAT: 12 Orange Tickets awarded to the first fans who find them and provide the correct password to the Dick’s representative.

Four Orange Tickets are reserved for high school students enrolled at Edmonds-Woodway, Lynnwood, Meadowdale and Mountlake Terrace high schools. One Orange Ticket is also reserved for a high school student enrolled in an alternative high school program at either Scriber Lake or Edmonds Heights.

WHEN:
Between Sept. 28 and Oct. 14, 2011, clues as to where and when you can find an Orange Ticket will be posted on the Dick’s Drive-In Facebook page and on Twitter.

http://Facebook.com/DicksDriveIn
http://Twitter.com/DicksDriveIns

CLUES:
2 clues will be given for each Orange Ticket. The second clue will include the exact time and location of the Orange Ticket and a PASSWORD.
The second clue and password will be posted FIRST on Twitter and then Facebook.

WHAT HAPPENS AT THE ORANGE TICKET LOCATION?
At the revealed location, look for a person wearing a blue hard hat that says “EDMONDS.” The first person to touch the Edmonds hard hat and provide the PASSWORD will be awarded the Orange Ticket from that location. If the Orange Ticket is reserved for a student from a particular high school, the person must also produce a valid high school ID or other acceptable proof of current enrollment in good standing at the particular high school.

WHAT DOES THE ORANGE TICKET MEAN?
Orange Ticket holders will be VIPs at the Edmonds Grand Opening ceremonies and be among the very first fans to eat at the new Edmonds drive-in. Prizes include:
• Commemorative Orange Ticket framed
• $20 in Edmonds gift certificates
• Commemorative T-shirt marking the Edmonds Grand Opening
• 1 Edmonds hard hat
• Group photo on opening day with Dick Spady, co-founder of Dick’s Drive-Ins

IF I’M AN ORANGE TICKET WINNER HOW WILL I KNOW ABOUT THE GRAND OPENING?
You will be contacted directly with details about the date and time for the Grand Opening ceremonies. The new Edmonds Dick’s Drive-In is located at Hwy 99 and 220th Street SW in the Top Food & Drug parking lot.

OTHER RULES: Winners must give their written permission for online posting, publication, and broadcasting of their names, photos and video. Orange Tickets may not be sold on eBay or otherwise. Orange Tickets may be transferred to a family member or close friend, but only with Dick’s prior written permission. In the event of a tie, the Orange Ticket winner will be decided by tossing a coin.

Seattle – Willy Wonka had his golden ticket, now Dick’s has the Orange Ticket. Seattle’s hometown favorite, Dick’s Drive-In Restaurants, Inc., announced today a contest to select those lucky fans who will be the first to sink their teeth into a juicy Dick’s burger at the Grand Opening of the new Edmonds drive-in.

Called the Dick’s “Orange Ticket” contest, the company plans to distribute 12 Orange Tickets by revealing clues and a special password through Facebook and Twitter. Orange Ticket winners will play a special part in the grand opening celebration this fall at the Edmonds Dicks Drive-In, including prizes and a photo with Dick Spady, president and co-founder of Dick’s Drive-Ins.

“This is our first new drive-in since 1974 – 10 years before Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg was born,” said Jim Spady, vice president ofDick’s Drive-Ins, “Our burgers, fries, and shakes are still the same high quality, hand-prepared goodness as they were in 1954, but social media has really changed the way we connect with our customers. What better way to mark this new era for Dick’s Drive-Ins than with a fun contest on Facebook and Twitter.”

Spady added that beginning this week clues will be posted on the company’s Facebook page www.facebook.com/DicksDriveIn and Twitter with the final clue for the Orange Ticket revealed first on Twitter @DicksDriveIns, hashtag #orangeticket. The first person to locate each Orange Ticket will be a VIP and among the first in line at the grand opening.

“Each Orange Ticket was designed and hand created by Seattle artist Theresa Neinas and are made for framing as a true keepsake,” Spady said.

Spady added that plans are now in place to open before Thanksgiving. “Our hope is that the final government inspections and approvals will go as smoothly as the construction,” said Spady, “If all goes well, we’ll open in the next 4 to 6 weeks.”

The new Edmonds Dicks Drive-In is located at Hwy 99 and 220th Street SW in the Top Food & Drug parking lot.

Seattle – Dick’s Drive-In Restaurants, Inc., announced today a major milestone toward completion of its first new drive-in in 37 years. Plans are set for Wednesday, Sept. 14, at 9:00 a.m. to install the company’s new pylon sign along Hwy 99 in Edmonds at 220th Street SW.

Press availability is scheduled during the sign installation with company vice president, Jim Spady, son of co-founder and namesake, Dick Spady. Installation of the 25-foot sign will take around an hour to complete.

“The outside of the new Edmonds drive-in is near completion now that the signs are going up,” says Spady. “After this week, all that is left will be installing the grills, fryers and other inside equipment, getting final approval from the various government inspectors and celebrating the Grand Opening.”

The new Edmond’s pylon sign will be virtually identical to the iconic pylon sign at the company’s flagship restaurant in Wallingford on NE 45th Street in Seattle, but will not revolve because such signs are no longer permitted by local building codes. Berry Neon Signs of Everett designed the sign and will perform the installation on Wednesday.

Spady says the new sign will be illuminated at night, but not until the restaurant’s Grand Opening, now scheduled for mid-fall.

“Our hope is that the final government inspections and approvals will go as smoothly as the construction,” says Spady, “If all goes well during the final stages, we’ll open much earlier than we had originally planned and definitely before Thanksgiving.”

Seattle – It’s been a top question for burger fans everywhere – when will Dick’s Drive-In Restaurants begin hiring for the new Edmonds restaurant? The company announced today that applications for the Edmonds drive-in are now being accepted at all of Dick’s 5 Seattle restaurants. Hiring will start by mid-September so the new Edmonds crew will be trained and ready for a Grand Opening before Thanksgiving.

“It was one year ago today that we announced to our fans that we planned to build our first new drive-in in 37 years,” says Jim Spady, vice president of Dick’s Drive-Ins and son of company co-founder and namesake, Dick Spady, “Hiring the new Edmonds crew means the reality of a new Dick’s Drive-In is almost here.”

Spady added that construction of the new Edmonds drive-in is going so well that plans are now in place to open before Thanksgiving. “Our hope is that the final government inspections and approvals will go as smoothly as the construction,” says Spady, “If all goes well, we’ll open earlier than we had planned and definitely before Thanksgiving.”

The Edmonds crew will include veteran employees transferring from Dick’s 5 existing Seattle restaurants plus new hires that also do their initial training at an existing drive-in so that they are ready to serve customers quickly during the Grand Opening. “Our great employees are the key to our success, and we’re excited to add at least 25 permanent new jobs to the Edmonds area,” Spady says.

Dick’s Drive-Ins is well known for its generous employee benefits that include 100 percent employer-paid health insurance, $22,000 for college scholarships and subsidized childcare even for part-time employees. At $9.50 per hour to start, and generous merit raises after that, Dick’s offers by far the best wages and benefits in the local fast-food industry.

The new Edmonds Dick’s Drive-In is being built on Hwy 99 at 220th Street SW in the Top Food & Drug parking lot. The first Dick’s Drive-In opened in 1954 at 111 NE 45th Street, less than a mile west of the University of Washington.

Seattle – Extra customer change at Dick’s Drive-Ins has added up to big support for homeless shelters throughout the Seattle area and disaster relief efforts. The famed restaurant chain announced today that its Change4Charity program hit the half-million mark this week with over $500,000 in donations collected from customers who drop change in the collection boxes at their 5 local restaurants.

“Those little change boxes have added up to big donations,” says Jim Spady, vice president of the local family business, “We want to thank each and every customer who has taken the time to drop their extra burger change into the Change4Charity boxes.”

Spady added that 2011 also includes the largest single month donation in March when over $21,000 was collected to aid the earthquake and tsunami relief effort in Japan.  Donations were directed to the Seattle Red Cross and World Vision in Federal Way, Wash.

“This program has far exceeded our expectations,” says Spady, “It’s a testament to our generous customers who care about their community.”

The Change4Charity program started in 1998 with a focus on local nonprofit organizations that serve the needs of homeless individuals and families. Organizations receiving Change4Charity donations include Compass Housing, Family Support Network, Fare Start, First Place, Mary’s Place, ROOTS, Saint Martin de Porres Shelter, and Seattle Night Watch.

Spady added that special donations are included when disasters strike and the program’s top months for giving have included the Haitian earthquake in January and February 2010 and relief efforts after Hurricane Katrina in September 2005.

Change4Charity boxes are located at the Wallingford, Broadway, Holman Road, Lake City, Queen Anne Dick’s Drive-Ins and soon-to-be new Edmonds restaurant when it opens this fall.

Seattle – Burger lovers rejoice! With a backhoe and balloons, Dick Spady, co-founder and namesake of Dick’s Drive-In Restaurants, Inc., broke ground today at the new site for the first restaurant since 1974. Local dignitaries, Spady family members, and 7 lucky fans helped launch construction for the new Edmonds Dick’s Drive-In. The restaurant is scheduled to open in early December at Highway 99 and 220th Street SW.

“We’ve been welcomed with open arms by the Edmonds community. Now comes the really fun part where we get to watch a new drive-in take shape and become a part of the neighborhood,” said Spady, who turns 88 in October, “We can’t wait to fire up those new grills, fry up the freshly sliced potatoes and whip up the hand-dipped shakes for all of our local north-end customers.”

The winners of the company’s latest Facebook “Fab Fan” contest included stories from “malt girl,” poetry, 5 generations of family memories, and a daddy’s love for his new baby girl, born premature at only 1 pound, 14 ounces. (See the attached Fab Fan winner’s list and contest entries.)

Edmonds Mayor Mike Cooper added, “This is a wonderful day for Dick’s Drive-Ins and for Edmonds. Dick’s is an example of the type of business we hope to continue attracting. I’m already thinking about what I’ll order as my first Dick’s Drive-In meal this December.”

“Dick’s Drive-Ins has a strong reputation for paying their employees well while also offering good benefits,” said Snohomish County Executive Aaron Reardon. “Theirs is the kind of business that we support in Snohomish County, not to mention that they have one of the best burgers in the Northwest.”

Strom Peterson, Edmonds City Council president, said, “While I am looking forward to my first Edmonds Dick’s Deluxe, I know it couldn’t have happened without our Economic Development Director, Stephen Clifton, or the continuing work of our city staff to keep this project on schedule. And, yes, I’ll have fries with that, and maybe a chocolate shake.”

“We join many others in welcoming Dick’s Drive-In to Edmonds,” said Troy Moore, store manager of the neighboring TOP Food & Drug store. “We have plenty of customers who hope construction goes smoothly and they’ll open soon.”

The Edmonds property is located on Highway 99 with easy access from Interstate 5 via 220th Street SW. The new drive-in will be close to Edmonds Community College, Swedish Edmonds Hospital, and Edmonds Stadium. The stadium is home field for all of the high schools in the Edmonds School District including Edmonds-Woodway, Lynnwood, Meadowdale, Mountlake Terrace and Scriber Lake.

“We look forward to making new friends along the way and feeding lots of hungry teenagers and their families after a big game,” Spady said.

Dick’s currently operates five restaurants in Seattle. The original Dick’s Drive-In opened in 1954 on Northeast 45th Street in Wallingford; the Capitol Hill Dick’s opened in 1955, the Crown Hill Dick’s opened in 1960, the Lake City Dick’s opened in 1963 and the lower Queen Anne Dick’sopened in 1974. The new Dick’s in Edmonds will maintain the original restaurant’s iconic 1950’s look and architecture.

Visit the website at www.dicksdrivein.com