Maybe this man had the Silver Grid in Hawera
Jacob Vincent Kurta was born in Podgora, Croatia in 1877. He arrived in New Zealand in 1896 and like many Dalmatians worked on the northern gumfields before settling in New Plymouth.
In 1902 he took over the "Silver Grid Restaurant" in Devon Street East from H.K.Harty. Three years later he bought "Smith's Empire Dining Rooms", opposite the Theatre Royal (now the TSB Showplace). The new restaurant was known as the "Golden Grid Restaurant and Oyster Saloon" and was open 7.00 a.m. to midnight six days a week and Sundays 5.00 p.m. to 11.00 p.m.
The entrepenurial Kurta also opened a billard saloon in Devon Street West, known as the "Dominion Billard Saloon". Located on the north side of Devon Street in the block between Brougham and Currie Streets, its opening in 1908 was apparently warmly welcomed by local players. Of particular interest was an "arc oval" table, said to be only the second in use in the country. Later in 1908 the Taranaki Herald reported that the billard saloon had installed a new "Frech cannon table" - a table with no pockets - apparently the first in New Zealand.
In the early 1920s Kurta again moved the business, this time to a two-storey wooden building on the north-side of Devon Street West iin the block between Egmont and Brougham Streets.This was replaced by a concrete building designed by T.H.Bates in 1940, since demolished. (see linked topic)
In 1924 Kurta commissioned T.H.Bates to design a building for him in Devon Street. The building was known as "Kurta's Buildings" and his name featured on the facade. Although his name has gone, the building still stands in Devon Street. (see linked topic)
Jacob Kurta married Christina Agostinelli in 1907 and the couple had three sons and two daughters. He died in 1965 and is buried at Te Henui cemetery.
http://ketenewplymouth.peoplesnetworknz.info/notable_taranaki_identities/topics/show/2078-jakov-vicenzo-jacob-vincent-kurta-1877-1965
