Dick's Drive-In to open new location at Crossroads Mall in Bellevue later this year

Residents on the Eastside won't have to make the trek to Seattle for their Dick's Drive-In fix much longer: the beloved burger joint announced that it will open a new location at Crossroads Bellevue.

During a Facebook Live event on Thursday, the popular Seattle-based burger chain drove their food truck to the new location, revealing to viewers that it would be located at the mall.

The new location fulfills a promise Dick's made to open a restaurant on the Eastside following the opening of the Kent location in 2018 and also marks a return to Bellevue — the old location closed in 1974.

"Once we opened that Kent location we promised that the next one would be on the Eastside," said Jasmine Donovan, president and chief financial officer of Dick's Drive-In. "We have been scouring the Eastside for the perfect place to open our next location."

The truck will be available to serve customers from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at what will be the new site.

Officials expressed excitement about the burger joint's return to their city.

"I am pleased to welcome Dick’s Drive-In back to the Eastside!" said Bellevue Mayor Lynne Robinson. "The new restaurant location will be right at home in the thriving Crossroads neighborhood of Bellevue. Like many others in the community, I look forward to enjoying some classic burgers, fries and shakes with family and friends."

The company announced their intention to buy property on the Eastside last year, but never specified an exact location.

The drive-in also launched their first ever food truck last year, asking residents to vote for where they wanted the truck to stop. Bellevue placed first in the poll, showing that interest in an Eastside location was extremely high.

"As part of our many adaptations during the COVID pandemic we decided it was time to have a mobile version of our store in the food truck and be able to reach our customers where they are at because they are no longer coming into the city," Donovan said.

The much-anticipated food truck finally touched down in November, bringing burgers and shakes on wheels to nearby cities.

The history of Dick’s dates back to Jan. 28, 1954, when Portland-born Dick Spady opened the first drive-in on N.E. 45th St. in Wallingford. Since its establishment, the beloved chain has opened a total of eight locations across Puget Sound and has become an iconic landmark in the city.

67 years later, the restaurant remains true to its original menu of no-frills burgers and hand-cut fries, proving that simple is better and classics never go out of style.

The new location is expected to open in late 2021.