What’s Next for the Richard DeShantz Restaurant Group After Owner’s Arrest?
Richard DeShantz, chef and owner of multiple Pittsburgh restaurants, was charged on Saturday for allegedly assaulting a woman.
PHOTO BY HAL B. KLEIN
Restaurateur Richard DeShantz is taking a step back from his businesses after his arrest on domestic violence charges.
In a criminal complaint filed last weekend, police charged the 55-year-old Allentown resident with misdemeanor counts of simple assault and strangulation.
The chef and owner of Richard DeShantz Restaurant Group is accused of punching a woman in the face and slamming her against the steering wheel of the vehicle she was driving to pick him up from a Strip District bar. He is also charged with choking her and throwing her to the ground outside his home.
According to online court records, the $10,000 bail was posted by DeShantz’s business partner, Tolga Sevdik, co-owner and chief operating officer of the restaurant group. A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for next week.
In a statement, DeShantz Restaurant Group spokesperson Casey Henderlong said:
“We are aware of the personal legal matter involving Richard DeShantz, which is currently proceeding through the courts. We respect the legal process and will not comment on the allegations. Effective immediately, Richard DeShantz is stepping away from all involvement in the restaurant group while legal proceedings are ongoing. Our focus remains on our employees, our guests, and the continued operation of our restaurants.”
The company runs more than a dozen Pittsburgh restaurants, including Meat & Potatoes, Fish nor Fowl and Coop de Ville, and is in the process of reimagining täkō tôrtä in Larimer’s Bakery Square. An as-yet-unamed American dining concept is expected to open in February 2027 in the former taqueria.
Butcher and the Rye, its Downtown eatery that closed in December 2020 due to the pandemic, recently reopened. The nearby Japanese-Mexican fusion restaurant Täkō is temporarily closed for renovations.
Other DeShantz-brand openings in the last year include Pre Amp Coffee Studio in Squirrel Hill and Sea Monkey in the Strip District, which also houses the speakeasy Vieux Carré.
