Our story about the downfall of the Espresso Republic café in Featherston St, the tribulations of its owner John Matias,  and Bob Jones’ allegations about him which appeared in the window of the premises after Matias left, elicited the following letter from Bob Jones. It’s abridged, but nothing germane has been omitted.
Your article re John Matias of The Espresso Republic Coffee House does not tell the full story.
…. Once we purchased the building from the outset he (Matias) was offensive to an extent I have never encountered.  He swore repeatedly at our female staff (try asking his own former staff about him) and constantly behaved in an unprofessional and ill-mannered fashion.
His rent was not lifted to $15,000 a month as he claimed but that aside, we do not set rents; the market does, subject in the case of disputes to professional valuations.  Matias’s lease which we inherited, provided for that.
He had ample opportunity to leave having received many offers through leasing agents including early this year when he declined $75,000 to take over his lease.
When he did leave the premises were quickly snapped up within days.
My sign was in response to his.  Our Wellington manager,  Sam Cooper protested to the Police at its implied threat (I was in Australia at the time).  “Is this the chap they asked?”, pulling out the photograph book of convicted criminals.  It was.  Enough said.
Your faithfully
R E.Jones (Sir Robert Jones)
Capital Times referred the letter to Matias.
Matias disputes Jones’ assertions and says that he tried to sell his coffee shop to a number of possible owners, but there had been no offer of any kind in the past year (“not even one dollar”).  Matias also points out  that whether the premises were ‘snapped up”  is relevant only if the rent is the same as his was, with no discounts and none of the inducements that are common now that rentals are falling. He also brought us his police record which shows no conviction of any kind.
Steve Giannoutsos, whose company Mojo’s supplied coffee to Espresso Republic, says.  
“John and Ally Matias did really well lasting as long as they did”, he says, adding that cafes just couldn’t  stand that kind of rent, and he wouldn’t even contemplate putting a café at the rental that was being paid there.