The Chattaway, a cozy, old-school restaurant that’s stood at the intersection of 4th Street and 22nd Avenue South for a century, has been purchased by a local ownership group. The new owners, including Mark Ferguson, Cullen Mahoney, and John John Delladonna, plan to keep the restaurant open.

A Community Asset

“It’s a community asset that we did not want to go away,” said Mark Ferguson, the owner of Ferg’s Sports Bar. The Chattaway is known for its old-Florida pastel colors, its lushly landscaped outdoor seating area, and its laid-back atmosphere.

Jillian Frers, now 93, became a co-owner in the late 1970s. She turned one of the restaurant’s interior rooms into a proper English tea room. However, the tea room will probably not survive under the new ownership.

The new owners took inspiration from the 2023 acquisition of El Cap, a vintage neighborhood bar and hamburger grill on 4th Street N. “I think there are enough mattress stores on 4th Street,” said Blake Thompson, of the Seed & Feed Hospitality Group. Ferguson felt the same way when he heard that Frers and her family were giving up the Chattaway.

A grand (re) opening is tentatively planned for late August. The new owners plan to honor the family’s legacy and keep the restaurant going.

Original reporting: St. Pete Catalyst — read the source article.