Richard DeShantz, the 55-year-old restaurateur behind some of Pittsburgh's best-known dining spots, is facing misdemeanor charges of simple assault and strangulation after an alleged attack on a woman early Saturday morning that began inside a moving car and continued outside his Allentown home. He was arrested and released the same day after his business partner posted $10,000 cash bail, with a preliminary hearing now pending in Allegheny County Municipal Court.
According to criminal complaint details reported by CBS News Pittsburgh, the alleged attack began around 1:21 a.m. on October 3 after a woman picked up DeShantz and his brother from a bar in the Strip District and began driving them home. The argument reportedly turned physical while she was behind the wheel. Per a separate account from WTAE, DeShantz punched the woman while she was driving, slammed her head against the steering wheel, and choked her, according to the criminal complaint.
The confrontation did not end when the car ride did. As reported by WPXI, after the group arrived at DeShantz's house in Allentown, the woman followed him toward the home to make sure he got inside safely because he was allegedly intoxicated. That is when DeShantz allegedly grabbed her hair, threw her to the ground, and attempted to strike her head against the pavement, before his brother intervened to stop the assault.
Charges and the Legal Exposure Ahead
DeShantz was charged with misdemeanor counts of simple assault and strangulation, the outlet's report notes, and a protection from abuse order has since been filed against him. Under 18 Pa.C.S. § 2718 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, strangulation is defined as knowingly or intentionally impeding another person's breathing or blood circulation. As a second-degree misdemeanor it carries a baseline penalty of up to two years imprisonment, though the charge can elevate to a second-degree felony if committed against a family or household member.
The simple assault charge, graded under 18 Pa.C.S. § 2701, applies when a person attempts to cause, or intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly causes, bodily injury or attempts physical menace, and is likewise punishable by up to two years in prison as a second-degree misdemeanor. Attempts to reach the Richard DeShantz Restaurant Group for comment were unsuccessful, according to the same report.
A Prominent Name in Pittsburgh's Dining Scene
DeShantz has built one of Pittsburgh's most recognizable hospitality empires, anchoring commercial corridors downtown, in the Strip District, and in Bakery Square. His flagship gastropub Meat & Potatoes opened in 2011, and per Table Magazine, the Richard DeShantz Restaurant Group's portfolio now also includes Poulet Bleu, Coop de Ville, Gi-Jin, and Golden Gai. DeShantz and business partner Tolga Sevdik were named national semifinalists for Outstanding Restaurateur by the James Beard Foundation in both 2018 and 2019, cementing his standing well beyond the city.
His group's Sixth Street bar, Butcher and the Rye, became the first Pittsburgh bar nominated for a James Beard Award for Outstanding Bar Program back in 2014, and TribLIVE reported the venue reopened on July 8, 2026, after renovations. The company has kept expanding even in recent months, including a hidden NOLA speakeasy tucked inside its Strip District concept Sea Monkey, the same neighborhood where the night in question reportedly began. The group had also announced a temporary closure of its downtown taqueria täkō starting June 27, 2026, for a full concept overhaul.
The allegations now stand in stark contrast to that public profile, with DeShantz facing a pending criminal case even as his restaurant empire continues to operate across the city. No further court dates beyond the preliminary hearing have been reported.
