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Concept drawing for a possible Dick’s Drive-In in the parking lot of Home Depot, next to Renton City Hall. This image is from the City’s public pre-application files here.
Dick’s Drive-in, the most popular local hamburger chain in the Seattle area, is formally exploring opening a restaurant in Renton. They’ve come in for a pre-application conference, including making a formal submission to the City of Renton. They are exploring potentially locating a restaurant in the Home Depot lot, near Renton City Hall. This would be a great location. They have considered it in the past, even back when the Home Depot was a Sam’s Club. The pre-application files have been posted to the City’s public website.
I’m very happy they are looking at Renton again. In addition to providing excellent working conditions for their employees and providing great food at a low price, there’s something uniquely comforting about a late-night stop at Dick’s Drive-In.
Dick’s isn’t just another hamburger stand; it’s become an integral part of the the northwest itself. Generations of local residents have enjoyed Dick’s burgers and fries after football games, concerts, first dates, and long shifts at work. In a region obsessed with reinvention, Dick’s remains largely unchanged from how I remember it on my first visit in the early 1980s. It’s affordable, unpretentious, delicious, and woven into our everyday lives in the Northwest.
In recent years I’ve visited Dick’s Drive-in Seattle and other nearby cities. And I’ve enjoyed visits from Dick’s food truck at special events in Renton. I always advocated for encouraging the company to open a store in Renton while I was on Council. This pre-application does not necessarily mean it will happen, but it is as close as we’ve come.
I wish them success as they go through the process, and hope to enjoy a new Renton Dick’s restaurant soon.
The pre-application submittal and the City’s report on the meeting can be found on the City’s public website here.
Concept map showing location. This image from City’s website here
Architect’s rendering of possible new Renton restaurant. Image from City’s pre-application files here
That would be nice for my EABOD needs.
Randy, When you blew out the candles on your birthday cake is this what you wished for????
having a Dick drive in Renton would be great. I’ve always loved their burgers and fries. I live in south Seattle so have a Dicks drive close by would be amazing.