Greensburg's Rialto to reopen as gastropub

Rich Cholodofsky, Tribune-Review, Greensburg, Pa.
Updated ·2 min read

Aug. 23—The restaurant and bar in downtown Greensburg that was closed last year after a series of violent incidents is expected to reopen this fall with a new name and new owners.

"There's definitely a deal in place," said Rich Butcher, who along with his wife, Danielle, are finalizing the purchase of the business that operated for nearly a century as the Rialto Bar & Bistro.

According to court records, Westmoreland County District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli signed off on the Butchers' purchase of the Rialto earlier this summer. Ziccarelli was granted approval rights of a potential sale as part of a consent order with soon-to-be former owner John Rullo to avoid a court ruling that could have declared the business a nuisance bar under state law.

Ziccarelli declined to comment on the pending sale Wednesday.

Rullo closed the Rialto following a stabbing in November in which one man was seriously injured. It was the latest in what local officials said was a series of violent and disruptive incidents dating to 2019, including a shooting in January 2022 that left two men wounded in the streets of downtown Greensburg.

The state's Liquor Control Board suspended the restaurant's license to sell alcohol last summer and put the license in "safekeeping" in December to help facilitate a potential sale.

The Rialto, at the corner of Otterman Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, had been in business and owned by the Rullo family since 1929. In its early years it operated as a speakeasy during Prohibition, Rullo said.

"On behalf of my family I want to thank the people of Greensburg for our more than 90 years in business. We couldn't be happier for Rich and Danielle to take over and we wish them as much success and longevity as we enjoyed," Rullo said.

Butcher and his wife also own J.Corks, a restaurant on East Pittsburgh Street. He said the Rialto location will operate as a gastropub and have a different name.

The Butchers and Rullo said they expect the sale to be completed soon. A placard on the front window of the business indicates that a proposed transfer of the liquor license is being reviewed by the state agency.

"We're looking at October or November to have it back open. It's not going to be a night club. We want to get it back to where it was before it was a night club," Butcher said.

Rich Cholodofsky is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Rich by email at rcholodofsky@triblive.com or via Twitter .