Mahaffey Theater Credit: Photo via cityofstpete/Flickr

Looks like Creative Loafing Tampa Bay will have to update the “Tampa Bay’s best restaurant and bar patios with ridiculously scenic views” dining guide soon, because a popular St. Pete hotspot has plans to open its own waterfront restaurant.

Last week, Bill Edwards—who owns that entertainment company that operates the city-owned Mahaffey Theater—told St. Pete’s city council that a new fine dining restaurant called Sonata will soon open out of the popular event space.

According to the St. Pete Catalyst, The Mill’s former managing partner and executive chef Ted Dorsey will helm the kitchen of this new restaurant, which will feature “coastal cuisine presented with Southern hospitality in an elegant atmosphere.”

Sonata

400 1st St. S, St. Petersburg, FL

website

The high-end restaurant will utilize the theater’s already-existing kitchen that was previously used for catering orders and events.

The Tampa Bay Times says that Sonata will open out of the theater’s lobby and occupy two floors, with the balcony dining area slated to open before the ground floor’s “lower atrium and patio space.”

Although there’s no slated opening date for Sonata, its social media says the new St. Pete concept will debut at 400 1st St. S sometime this fall. The restaurant’s new Toast page says it will open for lunch and dinner Tuesday-Sunday.

Longtime chef Ted Dorsey—who’s resume includes popular Tampa Bay concepts like Mise en Place, Ciro’s Speakeasy and Hotel Zamora—was most recently Executive Chef of St. Pete restaurant The Mill, which specialized in rustic New American cuisine.

The Mill unexpectedly closed its Central Avenue location earlier this year after citing issues with neighboring construction, but the Tampa Bay Business Journal reported that the restaurant “faced three liens totaling $154,250 due to unresolved tax liabilities” around the time of its closure. The Mill’s South Tampa restaurant is still up and running.

Other topics that Edwards discussed with St. Pete City Council last week included electrical and maintenance issues at the Mahaffey Theater, as well as its recent artistic collaboration with the Imagine Museum.

Head to Sonata’s new Facebook page for the latest news on its upcoming grand opening.