Troubled Pittsburgh bar gets one more chance despite calls for its closure

A troubled bar on Pittsburgh's South Side is getting one more chance before it could face a shutdown. 

Capo's is under fire after police said a woman was raped in a parking lot after leaving the bar on East Carson Street earlier this month. Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappala accused the bar of overserving the woman and allowing her to leave. 

Zappala said it was the latest issue surrounding Capo's, which was given "a list of demands necessary to improve and protect the safety of patrons," the district attorney's office said on Tuesday. The bar has 48 hours to agree to the demands, which were not made public. 

"If they do not agree to the terms, our office is prepared to file a petition for the closure of the establishment," the statement said. "If they agree to the terms, I will ask the Mayor's Office for his approval; and if acceptable, our agreement will be embodied in a court order, which may require the filing of the petition."

Pittsburgh Councilman Bob Charland, who represents the South Side, said he is "disappointed" that Capo's is getting another chance.

"I was hoping that we would see more swift action here," he said. "I believe at this point we've seen more than enough."

Sources told KDKA-TV that some of the demands include managing crowds, limiting occupancy on busy nights and changing hours. Sources added that security is to call the police when there is a problem. 

Last week, Zappala blasted the bar, saying bouncers let the woman, who was visibly intoxicated, leave the bar without taking steps to make sure she was all right.  

"She is let out of that establishment by security," Zappala said on Aug. 20. "They don't take care of her. She winds up in the hands of a rapist."

The district attorney said since 2025, there have been multiple fights at Capo's, causing problems for the South Side neighborhood. Charland said the bar is a "dangerous establishment."

"I believe we have 90 police citations on this bar," Charland said. "There are things from overserving, things from drug use from employees. The most horrific incident being a woman who was violently raped after this bar did not take care of her after she left."

The South Side Community Council, the South Side Community Action Network, and the South Side Chamber of Commerce released a joint statement asking the DA not to go forward with remediation but to close the bar.

"Remediation can be an appropriate response when an otherwise responsible operator experiences an isolated problem and demonstrates both the willingness and the ability to correct it," the statement said. "It is far less appropriate when an establishment has developed a lengthy record of incidents, police involvement, neighborhood complaints, and adverse impacts on the surrounding community."

KDKA-TV reached out to the bar's owner and attorney but did not hear back on Tuesday. The mayor's office said the district attorney's office hasn't reached out to their office.