Drive-in has served Pierce County since the 1960s. It officially has a new owner

A restaurant group with roots in the Seattle area has purchased a retro drive-in burger stand in Buckley, whose roots date to the 1960s, and its sister restaurant in Des Moines.

David Meinert and his Burien-based Hold Fast Hospitality Group became the owner of Wally’s Drive-In and Wally’s Chowder House mid-June. Meinert assumed the liquor license for the Des Moines restaurant, which is full-service, on June 17, applications show.

The News Tribune first reported news of the sale process in March.

In an email on Wednesday, Meinert described Wally’s as “exactly the kind of local institution we love: places with real history, loyal regulars, and a team that already knows how to take care of people.” He said he appreciates local history, from longstanding businesses to “buildings with unique character.”

He was raised in Normandy Park, he continued, “so Wally’s Chowder House feels very personal to me,” and some of his relatives and friends live in the Buckley area and have frequented the drive-in.

Wally’s previous owners, Mike and Judy Nordean, were ready to retire. The restaurant has served burgers, hand-cut fries, hand-breaded cod, clam chowder and milkshakes since the 1990s, but the Buckley drive-in has been there in one form or another since the 1960s, according to archives at the Northwest Room at Tacoma Public Library.

The 1,800-square-foot drive-in was built in 1959 as Bis Drive-In by Frank Bisnaw. Wally Thompson took over in 1991 and changed the name; he was the owner as of 1995, according to News Tribune archives. Thompson expanded the brand into King County in 1993. The Nordeans purchased the Buckley property in 1997, per Pierce County property records.

The Buckley restaurant manager at the time, Kimarie Johnson, told The News Tribune this spring that Meinert intended “to keep the hometown feel for both restaurants.”

A longtime Seattle-area hospitality and entertainment entrepreneur, Meinert also owns retro haunts The 5 Point Cafe and Mecca Cafe in Seattle and Huckleberry Square in Burien. He also was part of getting other Seattle-based bars and restaurants off the ground including Lost Lake Cafe & Lounge, Comet Tavern and Big Mario’s Pizza, according to his website. In 2018, after KUOW published an investigation in which several women accusing Meinert of sexual assault, his co-owners at Lost Lake and Comet, plus a since-closed bar called Grim’s, moved to buy his share of those businesses, according to The Seattle Times. Meinert denied the allegations, none of which made it to court. He re-emerged about a year later as he bought Mecca Cafe.

Johnson, the prior manager at Wally’s in Buckley, told The News Tribune in March that they felt confident in Meinert’s ability to carry the brand into the future.

Meinert told Puget Sound Business Journal, which first reported confirmation of the sale, that he anticipates retaining staff including longtime managers while updating the point-of-sale systems and tackling some building maintenance.

On Wednesday he was in the midst of installing a new system at the Des Moines restaurant. He told The News Tribune he anticipates offering employees health and retirement plans and air-conditioning in the kitchens.

“Our goal is preservation first,” said Meinert. “We want to protect what people already love about both restaurants: the history, the food, the staff, the hospitality, and the sense that these are community gathering places. Over time, we’ll reinvest in the buildings, operations, and guest experience, but we’re not coming in to change Wally’s into something else. We’re here to help make sure Wally’s is around for the next generation.”

The drive-in is a popular spot on the road to Sunrise at Mount Rainier National Park. In addition to burgers and cod, the menu offers charbroiled chicken sandwiches, fried popcorn shrimp or prawns, Dole Whip, soft-serve ice cream and sundaes.

Reporter’s Note: This story has been updated with comment from David Meinert.

This story was originally published June 24, 2026 at 2:47 PM.