Mayor Jerry Smith Working Hard to Bring Dick’s Drive-In to Mountlake Terrace

The possibility of getting a Dick’s Drive-In in Mountlake Terrace just got a little better.

Dick’s is planning on opening a new location of the popular chain and is asking for input from the public to help decide where it should be. Dick’s has had a poll up on their web site and currently the North End is in the lead with 47% of the votes.

Earlier this week Mayor Jerry Smith met with owner and founder of Dick’s Drive-In, Dick Spady. Also at the meeting was Dick’s son, Walter, as well as City Manager John Caulfield and Community & Economic Development Director Shane Hope.

The meeting lasted for about an hour and the Mountlake Terrace representatives went over maps and traffic studies as well as a proposal for where to locate the restaurant. While I am sure that the MLT community would be happy with a Dick’s anywhere in the city, the proposal was to locate the restaurant on 244th St SW just East of 56th Ave W where there used to be a fruit stand.

Mayor Jerry Smith, a former Dick’s employee himself, mentioned that “the gentleman is quite sharp” when referring to the Dick’s founder. Smith also picked up two books that Dick Spady has authored: a history of Dick’s Drive-In and a book Smith described as “how to get along with city councils and politicians and how to survive.” Mayor Smith plans on reading the second book, The Leadership of Civilization Building, during his upcoming vacation with hopes that he’ll get a few tips. The back cover of the book says “it offers a fresh and imaginative analysis of the meaning of citizenship, and introduces practical tools for the empowerment of people in business, government and religion.”

Keep working, Mayor, and we’ll keep voting.

[image courtesy Curtis Cronn]

  1. OH MY WORD! That would be the best ever! So close to my house! I would definitely consider working there! I’ve always been a fan. DICK’S! Please come to MLT! We love you!

  2. I wonder how that makes Seaun Richards at the Red Onion feel? Especially since he and the Mayor seem to be connected at the hip.

    1. This is my thought too – Red Onion is already in MLT, already doing great things for the community, already adding jobs and life to the Town Center. It seems like a Dick’s Drive-In (as much as I like them) would hurt Red Onion.

  3. That’s a pretty good location considering how close to the Cinebarre and freeway off ramp it is. And we really do need a good hamburger joint here. The Red Onion, despite that it’s the ONLY business to actually succeed in it’s location has TERRIBLE management and service. My friend recently just quite due how bad he was treated as an employee: no breaks, eat while working even though there was two of them (which is completely insanitary), and other things. There have been other incidents and things I’ve been told by their former employee but I don’t want to ruin what they have going for themselves. But I have been told one of the owners drinks on the job constantly. To top if off, the customer service is terrible. The last time I went it and had a question about the menu, “Does ranch come on your wrap?” The waitress, a grown women, snapped at me and said in a very snotty tone, “If it’s not written on the menu then it’s on the wrap.” She didn’t receive a tip from me because working in the food industry myself and I would NEVER talk to a customer like that. It’s sad really, I really liked their food, despite their prices, and they’re so successful. PLEASE BRING DICK’S TO MLT!!!!!

  4. Anyone who has a good knowledge of Mountlake Terrace knows that is a terrible location.
    The Mayor just wants some new business to Tax.
    Lets keep the good name of “Dicks” out of the Terrace.

  5. Anything closer to me would be a plus but I’d love to have it in Everett. ^^
    You can’t beat the Highway 99 locations near Boeing.

    1. I disagree that it’s TERRIBLE… overpriced? That I’d agree with, but not terrible… comparatively, the R.O. is much better than Dick’s, but Dick’s satisfies a primal craving and need (believe me, I know)…

  6. Dick’s in MLT is a horrible idea. The proposed location is only 8 miles from the Holman Road Dick’s. Lynnwood should get it being at the nexus of 405 and I5. They can serve the entire south snohomish county area AND the northern eastside.

    1. Totally agree, for many reasons…. I’ll bet a month’s salary Dick’s will not be here in MLT as much as I’d PERSONALLY like it to be, it just isn’t logistically a smart idea. Lynnwood (e.g. 196th or Hwy 99) makes MUCH more sense.

      I wouldn’t fret… it was a fair play by the Mayor, but an impaired attempt from the start.

      1. True true, I absolutely admire Mr. Smith’s effort. I don’t think Lynnwood is doing anything to entice them.

        I actually hope this “excitement” generated by the poll lands Dick’s locations in all three regions they’re polling for. I mean, they’re obviously going to make back their investment and then some no matter where they go.

      2. I definitely agree that the suggested spot sucks but in the 44th & 212th area Dick’s would fit nice. My vote is for the SW corner of Hwy 99 and 196th. Major intersection, near EdCC, it’s already leveled for them, and the Everett people can hop on the Swift bus to and from it.

  7. Red onion is a very very very average burger joint. Sure they donate very minimal amounts to the local community but the pay back to that is free advertising and that is what they are aiming for, not because of the goodness of their hearts. I would love to see Dicks up here, their burgers are OK, but at least they are 1/3 the price of the Onions and the taste is comparable. Go Dicks. Stop treating the Onion as some sort of saint of mlt, its a run of the mill local burger joint and if they were REALLY that good a little conpetition wont hurt it. Farouq out, rep’in the 98043 and ballin in my 2010 Audi S5, holla back.

  8. I’d love to see Dick’s in MLT! I promise to take all friends and visitors to Dick’s once a week if they locate here. YESSSSS!

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