Dick’s Drive-In celebrates grand opening in Kent

On West Hill along Pacific Highway South | Photos

By Steve Hunter • December 12, 2018 3:38 pm

Ed Covello and LaRee Lewis decided to enjoy a meal seated under the Dick’s Drive-In sign as the longtime Seattle-based restaurant threw its grand-opening party Wednesday morning at the new Kent location.

“A cheeseburger, a Deluxe, fries and a chocolate shake for breakfast,” said Lewis, of Bellevue, between bites.

People lined up early for the 10:30 a.m. opening at 24220 Pacific Highway S., just south of Lowe’s hardware store. The restaurant will be open from 10:30 a.m. to 2 a.m. seven days a week. Dick’s now has seven locations, but this is the first south of Seattle.

“It’s going to be the main place to come,” said Covello, of SeaTac, about how often he might eat at Dick’s. “It’s wonderful. It’s just nice to have something so close by instead of having to go all the way downtown, especially with traffic the way it is.”

Dick Spady opened the first Dick’s Drive-In in 1954 in the Wallingford neighborhood of Seattle along Northeast 45th Street. Dick Spady died in 2016 at the age of 92, but the Spady family still runs the business.

Bryn Holt, 6, of Auburn, showed up with her family and was one of the first customers with a coveted orange ticket Dick’s gave away to a select number of people.

“Her papa won an orange ticket for her,” said her mother Bri Holt. “She’s super excited. It’s right on the way to nana and papa’s house, so I don’t know if we have to get it everyday we go visit, but we’ll definitely get some milkshakes when we go visit.”

Bryn Holt knew what she was there to order.

“A milkshake,” she said.

High school bands from Kennedy Catholic in Burien and Thomas Jefferson in Auburn helped kick off the grand opening along with the King County Firefighters Pipes & Drums band.

When the bands were done performing, Kent Mayor Dana Ralph and other local politicians helped cut the ribbon to officially open the restaurant that simply features walk-up windows. There is no indoor seating or drive thru, similar to most of its other locations.

As soon as the ribbon fell, dozens of people rushed to line up at the windows to place their orders.

“We got one of everything,” Covello said.