12 Orange Ticket Holders Will Get First Bite at Dick's; Will Veruca Salt Show Up?

Dick’s Drive-In is getting as much publicity as it can from its new location in Edmonds, its sixth, . After all, it’s been 37 years since Dick’s opened its fifth shop, in Queen Anne.

Just announced: Dick’s executives are taking a cue from the golden ticket contest in Roald Dahl’s book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and the subsequent Willy Wonka movies, with its own ticket contest.

This one, as you might expect, centers on the color orange, the same as Dick’s iconic signs and trim on its restaurants.

The "Orange Ticket" contest will select those who will be the first to dive into a Dick's burger at the grand opening in Edmonds.

Here’s how it works: The company plans to distribute 12 orange tickets by revealing clues and a special password through Facebook and Twitter. Winners will play a special part in the grand opening, which will include prizes and a photo with Dick Spady, president and co-founder of Dick's.

"This is our first new drive-in since 1974—10 years before Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg was born," said Jim Spady, vice president of Dick's Drive-Ins. "Social media has really changed the way we connect with our customers. What better way to mark this new era for Dick's Drive-Ins than with a fun contest on Facebook and Twitter."

Beginning this week, clues will be posted on the company's Facebook page and Twitter account, with the final clue for the Orange Ticket revealed first on Twitter @DicksDriveIns, hashtag #orangeticket.

The first person to locate each orange ticket will be a VIP and among the first in line at the grand opening. Maybe Veruca Salt will even show up.

Each orange ticket was designed and made by Seattle artist Theresa Neinas and is intended as a keepsake, Spady said.

The Edmonds Dick's Drive-In is located at Highway 99 and 220th Street Southwest in the Top Food and Drug parking lot.