In April, sexual assault allegations emerged against two San Luis Obispo business owners. Now, one of them is set to appear in court on Thursday.
Former business owner of Nate’s Barbershop, Nate Abate, and former owner of Kin Coffee, Julian Contreras, were accused of sexual assault in a social media post by San Luis Obispo resident Ashley Riddell — prompting upwards of 30 women to share their similar experiences.
According to court documents filed on Jan. 19 by the SLO District Attorney’s Office, Abate was arrested on two counts of felonies: oral copulation with a minor and rape by use of drugs against another person. The reported crimes took place between the years of 2008 and 2010. If found guilty of his first count, Abate may face five, eight or 10 years in prison.
“It’s kind of the biggest feeling ever, seeing this result. Nate’s charges are bigger results than I ever thought,” Riddell said in an interview with New Times SLO.
SLO County Sheriff’s Office currently has a warrant out for Contreras’ arrest based on crimes reported in association with Abate, but they are still searching for him.
Abate’s bail was posted at $500,000 as of Jan. 19. At the hearing on Thursday, bail conditions will be set at the SLO County Superior Court. Abate, 34, pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Abate’s connection to former Kin Coffee owner Julian Contreras
Contreras gained notoriety for owning Kin Coffee, a local coffee shop with two locations that temporarily closed in April 2022 to “reflect and reorganize” after the allegations released.
Kin Coffee was recently rebranded to “Glo Coffee,” a shop that replaces what once stood at 847 Higuera St. Despite the new shop’s arrival, Glo features the same décor, ambience and even a similar menu with minimal changes. Their second location, which opened only two months prior to allegations, was registered and rebranded as “Taft St. Coffee” in July 2022, according to an article from New Times SLO.
Featured drinks such as the “Berry Brownie” latte and the “Honey Bee” matcha are on the new Glo menu and feature the same recipes as their predecessor menu’s drinks, “The Lover” and “Bee Less Vanilla.”
The rebrand is noted on their website and social media as #GloUp. The New Times SLO reported that the owner of Glo Coffee is Antonia Meyers, who confirmed her relation to Julian Contreras in a later interview with the Times.
As of Feb. 3, Mustang News confirmed with the SLO Sheriff’s Office that there are no updates on the Contreras investigation.
