Denny Tornatore, owner of the popular Tornatore’s Cafe & Pizzeria in College Park, announced Wednesday that the he was temporarily closing the restaurant because “we possibly were exposed to the virus.”
“As a safety precaution, we are closing for a few days while everyone here gets tested,” he said in an email message. “We will reopen as soon as negative test results come back.”
In a phone interview, Tornatore said that when he does reopen, it will be for takeout and delivery only until conditions improve. An Italian market that has been in the works next door to the cafe will be put on hold “until this thing is over,” he said.
Earlier this month, Tornatore’s was voted Best Takeout in our Foodster Awards for Independent Restaurants. It has also been a past winner for Best Pizza. Recent hires of former K sous chef Jason Wolfe as executive chef and former Sugarbuzz Dezert Co. owner Ron James as pastry chef, were made to further elevate the level of quality of the already respected Italian restaurant.