When Tricia Simpson and Melody Ramsey meet for their regular lunch get-together at Scott’s Dairy Freeze, they always order the same thing.

“I’m burger and jo-jos, she’s plain cheeseburger and fries,” Ramsey said, laughing.

The North Bend restaurant has been a backdrop for these two women, now in their 30s, ever since they were teens. Both worked at Scott’s when they were 16. So did all of their friends.

“It’s got a lot of history,” Simpson said of the place. “A lot of generations go through here.”

“I love it. It works,” Ramsey said. “There’s no need to change it.”

“Exactly,” Simpson adds.

Change is something that, indeed, comes very slowly to Scott’s Dairy Freeze, which marked its 60th year in business earlier this month. Owned by three different families over that period, it’s the oldest continually operated hamburger restaurant in King County.

Scott’s opened Aug. 1, 1951. Truman was president, a new home was $9,000 and burgers cost just a few cents.

Today’s world has changed by leaps and bounds, but the burgers, shakes and fries are still the main attraction at Scott’s, handed out through the same windows, which themselves have changed little beyond the occasional coat of paint. The menu, too, is timeless.

“Nothing is going to replace the cheeseburger,” said current owner Ken Hearing.

Scott’s Dairy Freeze was opened by Al and Dorothy Scott. They ran the stand—there were no tables—until 1969, when they sold it to their daughter and son-in-law, Pat and Rob Baker. The Bakers ran it for another two decades, until, ready to retire, they sold to Hearing, a former sheet metal worker who believed he could make a living in the business.

The Dairy Freeze tradition is good fast food. But those crowd-drawing burgers and fries don’t always come easy.

Hearing is constantly challenged to find the highest quality ingredients to create the feel-good meals of yesteryear.

“In order to have good food, you have to start with good ingredients,” Hearing said. That means a lot of homework, behind the scenes. One result: Scott’s was the first burger restaurant in King County, says Hearing, to switch to zero-trans fat fry oil.

“It’s tough because the cost of food keeps going up,” Hearing said. “I do my best to keep my costs as low as possible.”

Since 1990, he’s hired more than 400 employees.

“Some of them lasted one day. Some of them are still here,” he said.

Some employees quickly learn that the fast-food industry is not for them. But others have gone on to put themselves through college as cooks.

The business has also drawn a big following of regulars. Some diners come in daily, others weekly, still others whenever they’re passing through town.

“We have people who stop here every time they climb Mount Si,” Hearing said. “We have golfers who come in every time they play.”

Hearing has occasionally added to the menu, and rarely taken anything away. The Dairy Freeze cooks also experiment with a little home-style cooking, like soups and banana bread. But the basics of the business remain the same.

Physically, just about the only thing Hearing’s changed is the color—red instead of green—and the decor of the dining room. He gets lots of compliments from travelers about the historic maps and photos on the walls.

While the business does get busy, and the nine tables (two of which are video game machines) get full, Hearing isn’t eager to make any big changes to the look, feel and flow of the place.

“The only way I could improve that aspect of the business is to expand. Tearing it down and starting from scratch… I don’t think that’s where I want to go,” he said.

Hearing, who ran for North Bend Mayor in 2004 and is entering his third term, is often recognized behind the counter.

“The locals know me as mayor,” he said. “An awful lot of them promote to their kids, ‘Hey, the mayor’s waiting on you!’”

Hearing doesn’t see himself as just a caretaker of the Scott’s tradition.

“This is part of my life,” he said. “I don’t want to take it for granted.”

• Scott’s Dairy Freeze is located at 234 E North Bend Way.