Dicks Drive-In co-founder dies at 92

Chetanya Robinson

Chetanya Robinson Jun 29, 2025

Jan 12, 2018

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                <h1>Dicks Drive-In co-founder dies at 92</h1>
                <h2><p>The co-founder of Dick’s Drive-In, Dick Spady, died at the age of 92 on Sunday. Spady, born in Oregon, opened the first location for the popular local fast food chain in Wallingford in 1954. Spady quickly bought out his two co-founders, and over the next several decades opened six</p></h2>
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               <p>By <a href="/author/chetanyarobinson-gmail-com/">Chetanya Robinson</a></p> 
              <p><time datetime="2025-02-04T05:00:00-08:00">Jan 12, 2018</time></p>
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            <p>The co-founder of Dick’s Drive-In, Dick Spady, died at the age of 92 on Sunday. Spady, born in Oregon, opened the first location for the popular local fast food chain in Wallingford in 1954. Spady quickly bought out his two co-founders, and over the next several decades opened six more Dicks locations in Seattle, Bellevue and Edmonds. The chain is notable for offering high employee wages and health insurance -- not to mention good, cheap burgers and fries. It’s currently owned by the Spady family, who don’t plan on any major changes to the business, <a href="http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/obituaries/dick-spady-co-founder-and-namesake-of-dicks-drive-in-dies-at-91/?ref=dev.cascadepbs.org">according to the Seattle Times.</a></p>
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The co-founder of Dick’s Drive-In, Dick Spady, died at the age of 92 on Sunday. Spady, born in Oregon, opened the first location for the popular local fast food chain in Wallingford in 1954. Spady quickly bought out his two co-founders, and over the next several decades opened six more Dicks locations in Seattle, Bellevue and Edmonds. The chain is notable for offering high employee wages and health insurance -- not to mention good, cheap burgers and fries. It’s currently owned by the Spady family, who don’t plan on any major changes to the business, according to the Seattle Times.

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By Chetanya Robinson

Chetanya Robinson is a former intern with Crosscut. He was born and raised in Seattle and graduated from the University of Washington in fall 2016. He enjoys reporting on an eclectic range of topics,