On Monday, Mahoney said that local restaurant owners John John Delladonna and Mark Ferguson have joined him as investors to keep The Chattaway open. <\/p>\n
Ferguson owns Ferg\u2019s Sports Bar & Grill in St. Petersburg and Delladonna owns Shrimpy\u2019s Waterfront in St. Pete Beach.<\/p>\n
The Chattaway is known for its burgers, large patio, afternoon tea service and live music. It\u2019s an iconic, family-run St. Petersburg institution that has fed generations. Matriarch and owner Jillian Frers was at the helm until her eldest daughter Debby Kitto took the lead.<\/p>\n
The restaurant is in the process of being sold<\/a>, as the Tampa Bay Times reported in March. The sale is supposed to be finalized in August. <\/p>\n Ferguson confirmed the partnership Monday by phone and said they plan to add more seafood to the menu and obtain a liquor license.<\/p>\n The Chattaway is a \u201ccommunity asset,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n In March, Mahoney, of Sodus Development, was evaluating whether he could preserve the space that locals have come to know the past several decades, but it was too early to tell if that would be doable. Sodus is a St. Petersburg-based real estate development firm.<\/p>\n \u201cI care deeply about The Chattaway and what it means to the residents of St. Petersburg,\u201d Mahoney said in March. \u201cAny path forward would need to be rooted in preserving what makes this place special.\u201d<\/p>\n Mahoney lives in the neighborhood and has seemingly doubled down on his statement. He wants to keep The Chattaway in the community, he said Monday.<\/p>\n After the partners take over ownership of the property in August, Ferguson said they expect to throw a grand opening party in September.<\/p>\n Updates are planned for the space as well as a tightening of operations, like installing a point-of-sale system.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m excited to get started and excited to see what the next 75 years looks like,\u201d Mahoney said.<\/p>\n Ferguson thanked the family and said he and the partners plan to \u201ckeep it going for another 75 years.\u201d<\/p>\n 358 22nd Ave. S., St. Petersburg. thechattaway.com<\/a><\/p>\n \u2022 \u2022 \u2022<\/p>\n The Tampa Bay Times Food Hub launched in 2026, a four-person team covering Tampa Bay\u2019s dynamic and expanding food scene. You can contribute to the hub through our journalism fund by clicking here<\/a>. <\/p>\n Want food news weekly in your inbox? Sign up for our newsletter<\/a>.<\/p>\n Top 50 Restaurants: Check out our food critic\u2019s list<\/a> of the area\u2019s best spots.<\/p>\n Follow our updates on the local restaurant landscape on Instagram at @tampabaytimesfood<\/a>.<\/p>\nPart of the outdoor dinning area of The Chattaway in St. Petersburg includes pink bathtubs used as planters. [\u00a0Times (2019)\u00a0]<\/p>\n