The Chattaway will stay open as Ferg’s owner joins new ownership group

The 0.70-acre property could have just as easily ended up in the hands of a developer, putting the restaurant at risk of demolition.

Instead, Mahoney put the site under contract in March and began looking for partners who shared his vision of keeping the restaurant intact.

“The Chattaway stays The Chattaway,” Mahoney said in a conversation with St. Pete Rising.

Founded in 1933 by British immigrant Jillian Fricker, The Chattaway began as a tea room before evolving into one of St. Petersburg’s most well-known restaurants.

Over the decades, the restaurant became a local institution, drawing generations of residents and visitors with its burgers, eclectic décor, afternoon tea service, and lush garden seating area.

For Ferguson, preserving the restaurant is a chance to protect a piece of local history.

“I grew up in Lakewood Estates in south St. Pete,” Ferguson said to St. Pete Rising. “When I was a kid, we’d ride our bikes to The Chattaway, then head down to 3rd Street, go over Thrill Hill, and skate at the Bayfront Center during the summer.”

Ferguson also spent 18 years teaching P.E. and health at Southside Fundamental Middle School, located about a mile from The Chattaway.