Dick’s Drive-In location on Seattle’s Capitol Hill to close in December for remodeling

Callie Craighead, SeattlePI

Updated: 11/11/2021 12:19 PM

Seattle’s bustling Capitol Hill neighborhood should be getting their deluxe burgers and fries made soon as the Dick’s drive-in location on Broadway closes on December 13 for renovations.

The site has not been remodeled since the building was constructed in 1954, a year before the iconic Broadway location opened. While the exterior of the building remains unchanged and retains its vintage drive-in charm, the interior receives new plumbing, built-in coolers, and electrical appliances.

“We hope to be able to reopen sometime in the spring of 2022,” wrote Dick’s in a Facebook post on Wednesday. “All of our employees will temporarily move to other locations during the renovation and will be there for you when we open again.”

While the Broadway location will close until next year, Dick’s still plans to schedule food truck visits in the neighborhood.

Dick’s Drive-In started off 19 cent burgers in Wallingford in 1954. (The Broadway location is shown).Seattle City Archives

In September, the local fast food chain announced that it would raise its minimum wage to $ 19 an hour in an effort to attract more workers in the face of the current nationwide labor shortage. Workers will automatically move up to $ 20 an hour once they pass their first skill test, which is usually within the first 12 weeks of employment. Salary increases and bonuses also bring more skill training, and the maximum hourly wage for the crew is now $ 21.75.

A new Dick’s location is expected to open later this year in the Crossroads Mall in Bellevue. The new location fulfills a promise made by Dick’s to open a restaurant on the Eastside after the Kent location opened in 2018, and also marks a return to Bellevue – the old location closed in 1974.

Dick’s history dates back to January 28, 1954 when Portland-born Dick Spady opened the first drive-in on NE 45th St. in Wallingford. Since its inception, the popular chain has opened a total of eight locations in the Puget Sound region.

Callie is a web producer for SeattlePI focusing on local politics, transportation, real estate, and restaurants. She previously worked for an e-commerce craft beer company and loves exploring Seattle’s breweries. Her writing has been featured in Seattle Magazine and the Seattle University Spectator, where she was a student journalist.

https://www.seattlepi.com/lifestyle/food/article/capitol-hill-dicks-drive-in-close-december-remodel-16613156.php