Kevin and Laurie Tarter, owners of the popular Chef’s Table at the Edgewater in Winter Garden, announced over the weekend that they would close the restaurant indefinitely because of concerns over covid-19. They had been doing what appeared to be brisk takeout business in the past few weeks along with their other venues, Tasting Room and Attic Door, which also closed.
Also this weekend, Greg Peters closed all six Graffiti Junktion restaurants. In a phone call Sunday evening, Peters said he was closing the restaurants out of concern for his staff members. “I couldn’t sleep at night worrying that one of my workers might get sick.” He said 350 workers would be laid off.
In a post on her Facebook page, Laurie Tarter wrote: “ We have made the difficult decision to close temporarily and monitor the pandemic and to re-open our doors when we feel it is safe to do so.”
Since all restaurants and bars were ordered last month to cease onsite dining, many have tried to keep the doors open, at least virtually, providing takeout and delivery. Most say they are just breaking even and struggle to remain open just to provide a paycheck for staff members.
Peters expressed gratitude to the burger restaurants’ customers and said he would be donating his food stock to first responders.
