The Chattaway temporarily closes after employee tests positive for COVID-19

St. Petersburg’s The Chattaway has temporarily closed after an employee at the restaurant tested positive for COVID-19.

The restaurant’s owners made the announcement on their Facebook page Wednesday afternoon. So far one employee at the long-running St. Pete spot has tested positive for the virus while another employee tested negative, according to the statement. The restaurant will be closed “until further notice,” while the remaining staff are tested.

The news comes the same day that the owners of Stillwaters Tavern, on St. Petersburg’s Beach Drive, announced that two of their employees also tested positive for COVID-19. That restaurant will close for 72 hours while all employees get tested and the restaurant is treated to a deep cleaning.

The new cases join a growing number of Tampa Bay restaurants and bars where employees have tested positive for the virus. Restaurant owners are not required to close nor are they required to disclose to the public when a staff member tests positive.