Restaurant reopens after huge wave crashes into dining room
The manager of a seaside restaurant in Santa Barbara described a chaotic scene after a huge wave crashed into, and broke through, a dining-room window Saturday, prompting screams from stunned patrons.
The large wave hit the Moby Dick Restaurant on Stearns Wharf about 9:30 a.m., crashing through a window that was shattered, most likely by debris picked up from the damaged pier, floor manager Gerry Mora told The Times.
Patrons were “mostly just shocked and stunned,” he said. “We were all in shock.”
The event was caught on video by customers and posted on YouTube.
Some people were knocked over, according to the Santa Barbara City Fire Department. But no injuries were reported.
“Some of my customers got wet. Thank goodness no one got hurt or cut by the glass,” Mora said.
The wave prompted concern and inquiries from locals curious about the damage, to which the restaurant to posted a message on Twitter: “Moby Dick would like to thank you all for the phone calls and messages regarding the well being of patrons and employees.”
With the broken window patched with wood, the restaurant reopened to a busy crowd Sunday with patrons curious about the spot where the wave landed, Mora said.
“I’ve been here for 10 years and not once this has happened,” he said. “We’ve had big waves before, but nothing like this.”
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