Dick’s Drive-In plans to break ground the first week of April on its new Kent location that could be open in October.

Kent Mayor Dana Ralph recently met with the Spady family, which owns the restaurant chain.

“They are on track to break ground,” Ralph said at the City Council meeting on Tuesday. “They have started the hiring process. We should have a Dick’s Drive-In in Kent coming open in October. It’s something I know all of us are really excited about.”

Dick’s announced last fall it would build a restaurant on Kent’s West Hill along the east side of Pacific Highway South, just south of the Lowe’s store, 24050 Pacific Highway S.

The expansion is the first for the company since the Edmonds location opened in October 2011. Dick’s has five Seattle locations, including the original site that opened in 1954 in the Wallingford neighborhood.

Plans are for the Kent location to fashion the look of the Seattle outdoor drive-ins, according to the company.