RIP: Rich Salturelli, Restaurateur Behind CityGrille, Bay Wolf and More

For nearly fifty years, Richard "Salty" Salturelli was a staple in the Denver bar and restaurant scene. He passed away on April 30 at the age of eighty, leaving behind a legacy built largely on burgers.

After receiving an MBA from Michigan State and working for the Ford Motor Company in California, Salturelli moved to Denver in the mid-1970s and made a big career switch in 1976, when he purchased what would become the first of his eleven hospitality businesses: the original Cherry Creek location of the Cherry Cricket, which had been operating as a bar and restaurant since 1945 (under founder Mary Zimmerman) and already bore the Cherry Cricket name. Salturelli soon expanded his Cherry Cricket empire with upscale jazz club the Bay Wolf, which he and his brother opened in 1981 and closed a decade later, shortly after they sold the Cherry Cricket to Elizabeth "Eli" McGuire. "I thought I was done for when the Bay Wolf went down," Salturelli told Westword back in 2000.

But Salturelli's penchant for attracting burger lovers continued at CityGrille, which he opened in 1998 at 321 East Colfax Avenue in a space that was formerly J. Beatty's. CityGrille's burger was widely loved, and was once named one of the top ten burgers to try before you die by USA Today; the spot's location across from the Capitol made it a favorite for politicians and reporters. Salturelli sold it in 2011, and the address has remained shuttered since a 2020 fire damaged the outside as well as the main electrical box.

But memories of Salturelli's other ventures live on. He resurrected the Bay Wolf as the Manhattan Grill for a time; he also owned the Beacon Grill and the Kentucky Inn for a time. When he passed, he was a minority partner in the Blake Street Tavern, 2301 Blake Street, where a reception will be held on May 10 following a funeral mass at 2:30 p.m. at Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, 1535 Logan Street. There is also a public viewing from 5 to 7 p.m. on Monday, March 9, at the Fairmont Funeral Home, 430 South Quebec Street.