Bistro Nautile co-owner issues statement after partner’s arrest, employees weigh future

Chef and co-owner Ryan Damasky was arrested in the early morning hours of Feb. 16 after Larimer County deputies responded to a report of assault in the 1800 block of Kedron Circle in northeast Fort Collins. Damasky was booked into the Larimer County Jail and later released on a $5,000 personal recognizance bond; Larimer County prosecutors filed charges including second-degree assault, false imprisonment and two counts of third-degree assault, charges his attorney disputes.

Larimer County deputies deployed an All Hazards Crisis Response Team during the Feb. 16 response and sent a LETA alert at 2:56 a.m. warning nearby residents of police activity and asking them to stay inside their homes. Deputies said the suspect was inside the home while the victim was outside, and LCSO spokesperson Kate Kimble said the suspect would not respond to commands to come out.

Damasky is listed as a chef and partner at Bistro Nautile, which opened in 2020; he was brought on as a partner alongside Kat Reeves and co-owner Mike Reeves and previously worked at several Northern Colorado restaurants, including Bistro Nautile’s predecessor Fish. Local reporting on Feb. 27 said the arrest has left staff and patrons unsettled, though no restaurant staff or patron spoke on the record in those accounts.

On Feb. 27 co-owner Kat Reeves sent an emailed newsletter to Bistro Nautile customers that begins, "Greetings Awesome Humans!" In that message Reeves addressed "the very large elephant sitting in our proverbial living room," told customers they deserve to "know the truth, which is that we are a pillar of the Fort Collins community" that has been giving back and providing excellent food for over 25 years, and added, "We will continue to do so," she said. "And we stand together."

News reports cited the booking and release records and the list of charges; the attorney representing Damasky has disputed the allegations but no public statement from Damasky or his attorney was included in the material published so far. Larimer County records show the booking into the county jail on Feb. 16 and the subsequent release on the $5,000 personal recognizance bond.

With criminal charges filed and local reaction still unsettled, the next factual steps remaining include court filings and scheduling by the Larimer County court system and any further statements from Damasky, his attorney, Bistro Nautile co-owners Kat and Mike Reeves, or the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office. For now Bistro Nautile’s co-owner has publicly framed the incident as a matter she felt compelled to address to customers while the legal process moves forward.