Mission complete for Memphis Belle owner
One of Wellington’s favourite caffeine joints is set to close its doors next month, ending an era in the Wellington coffee scene.
Memphis Belle owner John Matias said it was sad to leave the rustic coffeehouse near Te Aro Park, but it was time to move on.
‘‘It’s a bit heartbreaking. But it’s been really good, this shop’s done a lot for me. I grew into an adult in the shop.’’
Matias has sold the shop to Lamason brew bar barista Tait Burge. The sale, for an undisclosed sum, was finalised this week.
‘‘I was already thinking it was time to move on,’’ Matias said.
He said owning the cafe had been a big learning curve for him and his biggest challenge had been trying to ‘‘make and keep everyone happy’’.
The shop, roughly the size of a single garage, had occupied the site ‘‘by the toilets and across from the brothel’’ on Dixon St since 2010.
Originally owned by Flight Coffee on the site of a former party pills supplier, the shop underwent turbulent times when the business got into debt of more than $100,000 in early 2014.
Co-owner and operator Elias ‘‘Bink’’ Bowler disappeared to Christchurch and co-owner Nick Buchanan bought out him out.
The business continued until 2015 when it went into voluntary liquidation.
Matias stepped in and bought it and said he had managed to keep the hipster haunt profitable.
Staff were ‘‘a little sad but understanding’’ that he wanted to move on.
‘‘We ended up being more of a community than a cafe. We’ve lasted eight years without toilets, I’m not even sure that’s legal. There’s something about this little shop made from stuff from the tip.’’
Memphis Belle had been a favourite of numerous celebrities over the years, including Billy Connolly, Steven Adams and The Black Keys.
Coffee and cheese scone enthusiast Paul Nixon said he had been coming to Memphis Belle since the beginning, and he said he would miss it. ‘‘It’s a bit of a Wellington institution. It has great coffee and great customers. We probably won’t find an equivalent.’’
New owner Tait Burge said he would be reopening the site as a new cafe called Swimsuit Coffee. He would be ‘‘rejuvenating’’ the place with a ‘‘small refit’’.
‘‘It’s kind of been the goal to open a cafe by 26, and I’m 24 now, so I’m quite proud of that.’’
He was confident would go well.
Swimsuit Coffee was open mid-February. the venture likely to