During the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake most of the City of Santa Clara was blacked out that first evening. I was working in the City of Santa Clara Emergency Operations Center (EOC) that night. Those in command were at a loss how to feed the City workers who were working overtime that night. Someone ordered a 150 cold sandwiches from somewhere delivered to the EOC that night (but these sandwiches weren’t actually delivered until after midnight). I said no one will come in here and eat a cold sandwich, and a room temperature soft drink, and I was right.

I later heard one of my workers over our communications radio “10-7” at the Peppermill address. I called him back and he said the Peppermill had power, and was the only restaurant in Santa Clara open north of Bayshore/Hwy 101 and not blacked out. The word spread and we all had a place to go for a hot meal that night.