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For the first time in its 66 year-old history, local classic Dick’s Drive-In has a food truck — and it has set up camp in Bellevue Friday, December 4, serving until 2 p.m. This is one of five early stops for the new mobile operation; the others are planned for Bellingham, Everett, Renton, and West Seattle, with some upcoming dates announced (it arrives in Everett next on Saturday, December 5). The food truck will also make an appearance at a holiday event in Newcastle, Washington, December 23.
Parked at the Umpqua Bank at 1000 Bellevue Way, Dick’s is serving its full menu of deluxe burgers, shakes, and beverages, but no fries (only chips). Those disappointed with the lack of a side should note that if this new effort is successful, there could be a fry truck in the future.
The new spot holds some significance for Dick’s. When the fast food franchise was expanding in the 60s, there actually was a Bellevue location from 1967 to 1974, but it didn’t gain traction and closed right before the chain opened its Queen Anne outpost. Dick’s is on the hunt now for a new permanent location on the Eastside, and is soliciting feedback. On the official website, Dick’s asks fans to share properties for sale in the area and to vote on their favorite Eastside city for the food truck to visit in the interim, after Bellevue.
Since it opened in Wallingford in 1954, Dick’s has grown at a slow, but steady pace in the region, with five locations in Seattle, one in Kent, and one in Edmonds. But there are plenty of neighborhoods it hasn’t reached yet, and the food truck is part of the effort to help the beloved icon expand further. After it opened its Kent spot, the franchise made a promise that the Eastside would be considered for the next permanent location, while Bellingham and Everett are the most northern cities the chain has eyed so far.
