On September 25, 1981, Tom and Becky Peper unlocked the doors to a brand new restaurant in Castle Rock.
Together they bought this piece of land, built the restaurant, and gave it a name that tells you exactly who we are and where to find us: Peper, for the family, and 49er, for Exit 49.
More than forty years later, it is still a family place. The coffee is on, the door is open, and there is a seat waiting for you.
“We are friendly and warm. It feels like home.”
Meet Matt and Mandie
Behind the counter
Mandie grew up in this restaurant. In August of 2002 she came home to Castle Rock to help her folks run it, and over the years, as Tom and Becky stepped back, running the 49er became hers in the most natural way.
Today Matt and Mandie are the ones you will find here early and late. They carry the same rule Tom and Becky lived by: never ask anyone to do a job you have not done yourself.
If you have stopped in, chances are one of them has already made you feel like family.
“I'd better be the first one in the door and the last one out... even if I've been here since 4AM.”
In Matt & Mandie's words
Then & now
My dad, Tom, started out peeling potatoes at his parents' restaurant in Arlington when he was about ten. My folks met at WSU in Pullman, got married, and moved to Arlington, where they worked at the Blue Bird Cafe and eventually ran it. Boy howdy, did those two work well together. And so do we.
My mom was born and raised in Castle Rock, so they bought this property, built the restaurant, and opened on September 25, 1981. I was seven. Dolly, who had worked with them at the Blue Bird, came down to help them open. The first menu was small and, by today's standards, ridiculously cheap. In 1984, they expanded the building to the size it is today.
Dad ran the kitchen, did the ordering and kept the books and payroll. Mom ran the front and did the hiring. Over the years a lot of families worked here, not just ours: mothers and daughters, grandkids, brothers and sisters. Sue was with us for almost 30 years before she retired in August of 2022.
The walls used to be full of paintings by James Eichleberger, a self taught painter who lived nearby. His signature was a miner man, and he loved painting the 49er gold rush, so it was a perfect fit for all of us. We lost those paintings in the fire, and since Jim passed away years ago, they can never be replaced.
Giving back
Neighbors helping neighbors
When Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast, Peper's 49er held a day to raise money for survivors. The staff donated their time, and the restaurant gave the whole day's proceeds to the Red Cross, Becky Peper told the local paper.
After the fire, it was Castle Rock's turn to take care of us. A long time customer, Bob Janisch, brought us a beautiful Jim Eichleberger painting, a gift we will always treasure.
That is how it works in a small town. You show up for each other.
Our Comeback
The fire & rebuild
Security camera footage from the night of the fire
In Matt & Mandie's words
“The building was broken, not the food.”
On February 23, 2023, fire tore through the 49er. Nobody was hurt, not even a firefighter. But the restaurant was a total loss. We kept the outside walls and the studs. Everything else was ruined by fire or by thick black smoke.
There was no temporary location. We were simply closed for 21 months. (Not that anybody was counting.) On November 18, 2024, we opened our doors again.
Chapter 1
The fire
February 23, 2023. The night everything changed.
Fire and heavy black smoke filled every room.
7 photos
Chapter 2
Clearing the way
Down to the walls and studs, and a long road back.
We tried to clean up as much as we could ourselves, but some of it, like the asbestos, had to be handled by professionals. Little by little, the old place was cleared down to its bones, ready to be built again.
5 photos
Chapter 3
Raising the roof
The truss crew set the frame that holds the 49er up today.
Our outside walls were still standing, and on top of them went a brand new roof.
5 photos
Chapter 4
Community
Friends, family and neighbors signed their names on the trusses.
Through it all, three of our employees, Tomika, Jason and Jocelyn, stood right alongside Matt and Mandie. Friends, family and neighbors showed up too, and many of them signed their names on the new trusses. Those names are part of the building now. A big thank you to Jon and Kari at Greener Futures Electric, childhood friends who are part of our lives and did all of the wiring. We support them, and they support us.
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In the news · The Daily News
Chapter 5
Coming home
November 18, 2024. The doors opened again.
Walls, ductwork and finishing touches went in one by one, until the 49er felt like home again. We reopened on November 18, 2024, and the food tastes just the way you remember. Since then, our staff has done a really great job, and we could not be prouder of them.
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916 Walsh Ave NE, Castle Rock, WA 98611 Just off Interstate 5 at Exit 49
