"I asked them not to put it there - this wall is not a memorial, it's a wall of a business," she said.
When she opened up the cafe on Monday morning, she discovered that instead the plaque had been positioned on a rock and put into one of several gardens out the front of the cafe.
"The first three people to get out of their car and order a coffee went 'what is that?' and asked if it would be removed again after Anzac Day," she said.
She decided to allow people to have an opportunity to air their views on paper and as of Tuesday this week she had already collected more than 100 signatures and comments.
These comments included feedback such as: "It kind of looks 'plonked'," "it needs to be facing the road", "it's too big for the garden and needs a backdrop", "it's ugly", "it's undignified", "it looks cheap and nasty and is disrespectful as a monument".
They also noted that the plaque was crooked.
Ms Cotterill said she decided not to put together a petition as she was unlikely to get the number of signatures required, opting for a "forum" instead so she could show Mr Butler "what a consultation process actually is".
Mr Butler said that was her point of view and she had every right to express it, but he thought a fabulous job had been done.
"We talked to her about putting it on the wall, she didn't want that so we put it somewhere else. It's a council garden, it's not her's, and I have no problem with it, I think she's being negative."
He thanked the volunteers and businesses that had installed the commemorative rock and plaque for no charge, in time for Anzac Day.
He said these were Hatuma Lime, Hatuma Engineering, Allan Brown, Higgins Concrete, the Central Hawke's Bay District Council, and especially Tony Masemann. "Once again I thank you all for helping us remember this outstanding family's contribution to keep New Zealand a democracy."
Ms Cotterill said she planned to send the signatures and comments, which were still being added this week, to all the CHB district councillors.
