Can Can Brasserie has been in Carytown since 2005. (Photo by Mike Platania)
A gastronomic institution in Carytown is changing hands again.
The Can Can Brasserie is set to be sold to the Housepitality Family, the local restaurant group that owns venues such as The Boathouse and Casa del Barco.
Can Can has been serving French cuisine at 3120 W. Cary St. since 2005, when the Ripp family opened it in the heart of Carytown.
John and Paul Kincaid
A year after the death of family patriarch Dick Ripp in 2019, the Ripps’ family business, The Restaurant Co., sold Can Can to Brothers John and Paul KincaidThe Kincaids had worked there for years as chefs and managers and took over as first-time restaurant owners in the midst of the pandemic.
Now the Kincaids are passing the restaurant on to Housepitality; Paul described the deal as seamless.
“They approached us about the deal and have always been big fans of the restaurant. They have the resources to run it the way we did before,” Kincaid said.
Covering an area of over 650 square meters, Can Can has its own bakery and pastry shop and employs a total of around 100 people. Kincaid said taking over such a large operation proved difficult at the time.
“We were at a bit of a disadvantage due to COVID and had to constantly replace a lot of equipment due to the age of the restaurant. We’ve done our best and tried to stay as true to Can Can as possible over the nearly four and a half years we’ve owned it, but this feels like the right move.”
Housepitality owner Kevin Healy said the only changes the company had planned for the restaurant were to reinstate morning coffee service and open seven days a week instead of the current five.
Kevin Healy (Household)
“Until the Kincaids bought it, this restaurant was supported by The Restaurant Co. and the infrastructure behind it. We hope to bring some of that support back,” Healy said.
“It’s more of an acquisition. We want to watch it grow and thrive. There won’t be any major changes other than getting it back to where it was before the pandemic.”
Healy said Can Can’s employees will be retained as part of the deal, which is expected to close before Sept. 1 for an undisclosed amount. It also includes the Can Can Cafe, which the Kincaids opened at the Library of Virginia in 2022. It will be the eighth restaurant in Housepitality’s portfolio, joining four Boathouse locations, two Casas del Barco and Island Shrimp Co.
Kincaid said the sale of Can Can is a bittersweet moment, but he looks forward to spending more time with his family and visiting the restaurant as a guest.
“It’s been an honor to pursue my dream of owning my own restaurant and working with the team I work with,” Kincaid said. “But being able to continue to run this restaurant in a way that has more job security than I ever could is definitely the best path forward.”
