Family Business Awards — Community Involvement: Honoring a steadfast commitment to giving back

WINNER: Dick’s Drive-In Restaurants

Location: Seattle
Employees: 150

The sleek, modern drive-in with the neon cursive sign and the satisfyingly simple menu made Dicks Drive-In a Seattle institution almost as soon as the first one opened in Wallingford in 1954. To this day, the hamburgers (originally only 19 cents), hand-dipped shakes and hand-cut fries inspire a devoted following and regularly earn accoladesfrom Best Roadside Diner to Best Takeout and more.

But what really makes this enterprise hum are happy, loyal employees. Under namesake cofounder Dick Spadys leadership, Dicks regularly pays the highest wages and offers the best benefits in the fast-food industry, including 100 percent employee-based health care, education scholarships (more than $1 million given since the program started), child care support, paid volunteer time and generous retirement benefits.

Hes a big believer in education, personal integrity and treating employees well, says Jim Spady, Dick Spadys son. Jim became a vice president after he helped his father buy out the original partners when they wanted to sell in 1991. Jims brothers, Walt and John, are also vice presidents. We get along well. We love our parents, Jim says. Its been a great opportunity. In all, seven family members are shareholders.

The Spady sons are also active in perpetuating Dick Spadys community outreach efforts. The elder Spady has many philanthropy and community service awards to his name, and his longtime passion has been strengthening civic ties. With King County, the Spadys launched Countywide Community Forums (communityforums.org) to gather public input on issues such as budgets, law enforcement and transportation, and to deliver this input to elected officials.

Meanwhile, the fast-food business cant be slowed. In October, the sixth Dicks Drive-In, the companys first new restaurant in 37 years, opened in Edmonds. L.W.