Seminole Heights’ Rooster and the Till is closed temporarily after announcing on Monday that there has been a positive COVID-19 case within the restaurant, despite safety efforts.
“We took every precaution and still it didn’t protect us from this virus. We are choosing to be transparent and open and would like to share there’s been a positive case of COVID-19 within the Rooster and the Till community,” the restaurant wrote on Instagram. “We are closing our doors until further notice to help stop the spread of the illness to others, to test all employees and sanitize every inch of our restaurant.”
Creative Loafing Tampa Bay asked Rooster and the Till Chef Ferrell Alvarez why the restaurant decided to disclose this information to the public, as restaurants and businesses are not required to do so.
“We felt that announcing our situation was the right thing to do because we take our social responsibility seriously within the community,” Alvarez told CL. “It was the same mentality we had when we voluntarily shut down before the state's mandatory closure. It's putting your people, our families and our city's well-being before financial gains.”
“It is a tough decision because most restaurants that are operating with respect to the mandates imposed on us are struggling to stay afloat,” he added.
Alvarez told CL that the restaurant has about 15 employees being tested Tuesday and Wednesday and is bringing in a cleaning company for a “thorough disinfectant cleaning to the restaurant itself.”
“Once we know that everyone is healthy and comfortable with coming back to work after producing negative results then we will announce our reopen date,” he said. “Until then we are focused on making sure everyone stays safe and healthy.”
Rooster and the Till closed its doors March 17, three days before the state-mandated closure of restaurants, and didn’t reopen to the public until May 19.
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This article appears in Jun 25 – Jul 1, 2020.