Five decades of Tea, Talk & Celebrations
These tearooms began life in 1907, with the purchase of the section by Richard Sumner James. He sold in 1917 to Arthur Stewart, a baker from Paeroa. Arthur Stewart, and his wife May, had bakeries in Te Aroha and Waharoa as well as Matamata. At that time the bakery and house were wooden buildings all on the same property. After just four years Arthur Stewart sold, in 1921, to H. E. Follett who ran the business until the end of 1924.
In March 1923 a fire destroyed the block of shops to the north of the bakery, but the buildings of the bakery, and shop with the house itself, were saved by the hosing down of the grass between it and the fire. Not quite a year later, they were not so lucky. The wooden shop and house both being destroyed in January 1924 According to legend it was after this fire, that the new brick premises (pictured at the head of this piece) were built by Arthur, and named "Rialto Tea Rooms" however advertisements for Mr Follett continue to run until the beginning of 1925 while the certificate of title for the section shows Arthur Stewart bought it back from Herbert Follett on 10th March 1925. In fact it is reported on 11 August 1924 that fine new premises (described in detail) are being built for Mr Follett, and there are several mentions of The Rialto toward the end of that year. While the first indication in the newspaper of the return of Arthur is a change of ownership announcement on 12th February 1925, and as mentioned, money changed hands in the March. These new premises were exclusively for the business, and the family no longer lived on the site.
From the 1st March 1925, the certificate of title tells us Arthur Stewart leased the property, and presumably the business, for five years to Walter Henry Yeates, with a right of renewal for a further 5 years.
After a month or so of A. Stewart advertisements, on March 19th the first advertisement appears for the business under W. H. Yeates.
It is hard to imagine holding a wedding reception with dancing for about 60 people in either building, but hold one they did in September 1925.
Despite having a five year lease, W. H. Yeates left in 1926, and Arthur Stewart again returned.
In December 1931, Arthur had a major operation of some type, and at the beginning of 1932 Mrs Griffin and Mr E.Simon were working as partnership Griffin & Simon. In 1933, Mrs Griffin & Son (the son was Maynard Miles, Martha Griffin's son by her first marriage), took over Mr Simon's share, and in 1938 Arthur Stewart sold the premises outright to Mrs Griffin. In the intervening period Arthur had built two fine new shops on the land between the Rialto and the Regent theatre and these were included in the sale which was one of the largest property deals ever transacted in the town.
Rialto Tea Rooms and Youngs Auction Mart
Interior of the Rialto Tea Rooms - 1930s
In August 1950 the Matamata Golf club held a ball in the memorial centre with an attendance of 600. Supper was provided at the Rialto Tea rooms over five sittings of 100! Perhaps that was one of the last big events catered there. In 1951 Mrs Griffin built the building in place today. As can be seen if you look above the awning at the facade which says "Griffin's Building 1951". In 1953 the advertisements change to be "Matamata Bakeries - late Griffin and Son - Matamata's leading baker for 21 years" . This seems to record the separation of the two enterprises, the bakery & the restaurant. They were still the Rialto Tearooms in 1959. It was then "Mardi Gras" in 1960 & 1962 and in 1962 the restaurant became La Paloma, while the bakery continued in the brick building behind.
Sources :- Interview with a Grandson of Arthur Stewart, David Lee, 30 July 2025. Matamata Historical Society Archives. Newspapers at Paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. LINZ (Land information NZ)
