The aroma of freshly cooked fries and pints of beer accompanied by lively chatter engulfed Peanuts Deluxe Cafe when classes were in-person.
Commonly referred to as just “Peanuts” by the San Jose State community, guests of all ages could be found at this iconic restaurant staple on any given weekend afternoon.
“The music is just blasting,”said Peanuts Deluxe Cafe owner Joseph Huh. “Definitely a college atmosphere and it’s
so fun.”
Huh took over restaurant management in 2018, following in the footsteps of his uncle Myun Chang who owned the popular eatery since 1978.
Peanuts is located on East San Fernando Street across from SJSU’s campus, making it easy for students to stop by after a long day of classes.
When the pandemic hit and Santa Clara County enforced strict shelter-in-place guidelines, Peanuts Deluxe Cafe closed its doors entirely. It’s now open for indoor and outdoor dining per the county’s new guidelines, which allow limited indoor capacity.
Kevin Maldonado, a 2019 business administration alumnus said he frequented the restaurant several times a week during his undergraduate studies to hang out, do homework or talk to Myun Chang, who still owned the eatery at the time.
Although the restaurant is small, customers are often pleasantly surprised by the variety of menu options, ranging from plentiful omelettes to pitchers of cold beer on tap.
Bobby Munnerlyn, a hospitality management junior, said he has a great appreciation for Peanuts because of its fun atmosphere and affordability.
“Peanuts is really great because like a lot of college bars, it has to be a more budget-based option,” Munnerlyn said.
Another notable aspect of the restaurant is the sorority and fraternity appreciation plaques displayed on its walls.
Some of the plaques include Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Alpha Omicron Pi and Theta Chi, all Greek organizations with chapters at SJSU.
Huh said Myun Chang was one of the biggest catalysts in establishing Peanuts as a known hangout spot for social groups.
“My uncle established the culture of the whole fraternities and sororities coming through here,” Huh said. “Being here now for almost three years, you see how embedded this place is to SJSU and the San Jose downtown.”
Maldonado also said the staff is always friendly and connected with students.
Aki Daito, a 2019 marketing alumnus, said Myun Chang memorized his order and eventually named it after him.
“One time I just got creative and I was like, could you slap some cheese, bacon and jalapeño on [fries]?” Daito said.
Following the interaction, Daito and his friends would visit the restaurant and ask for fries “the Aki way.”
Both Daito and Munnerlyn said one of their favorite aspects of the restaurant is that students can play their own music over the sound system and enjoy themselves.
Reminiscing on his times at the eatery, Daito said sometimes students would play certain music and the cooks would get up and dance with the customers.
“It’s honestly one of those straight out of a movie college vibe places you can go to,” Daito said.
Although Peanuts was a popular hangout spot before the COVID-19 pandemic, the business has since faced troubling times.
Huh said the business is very fortunate to still have Myun Chang as a landlord and he was the only reason Peanuts was able to survive.
Huh made the decision to open only for take-out in May 2020 to maintain the beloved family business.
Huh said he’s pleased the business is open again for indoor dining, but misses the students.
“It’s so boring without them,” Huh said. “Now everything is trending in the right direction, but we’re still missing all the students, that’s like the one thing that’s missing, but we’re looking forward to [having the
students back].”
