Why the sale of Can Can to The Boathouse owners matters to Richmond

When news broke over the weekend that beloved Carytown eatery Can Can Brasserie had been sold to the restaurant group that owns The Boathouse , Richmond reacted like a city in mourning.

• At least that seemed to be the response across hundreds of comments posted on social media , after stories started posting .

Why it matters: Can Can was a transformational restaurant for Richmond, while The Boathouse has a reputation for valuing scenic views over diner experience after its pandemic-era 20% automatic service fees policy.

State of play: The Boathouse owner Kevin Healy is committed to preserving the charm that made Can Can so special, he tells Axios.

• He's tapping his restaurant group's executive chef and GM to take the reins from former Can Can co-owners (and brothers) John and Paul Kincaid, the longtime GM and chef who bought the restaurant from OG owner Chris Ripp in summer 2020.
• Healy's keeping the existing staff of around 95, including the baker, and plans to restore early morning pastry and coffee service, plus daily hours to the restaurant as soon as possible.
• Plus, The Boathouse ended its pandemic pivot service fees earlier this year, something Healy says the group possibly should've done sooner for their seven restaurants, which also include Casa Del Barco and Island Shrimp Company .

Still, Healy knows he has some big les chaussures to fill in the hearts and minds of locals who loved Carytown's signature French cafe.

Flashback: When Can Can opened in 2005 , the Richmond dining scene as we know it today didn't exist yet. Nor did Carytown.

• Richmond's foodie town destination buzz and 11 straight years of James Beard semifinalists wouldn't start until 2010. Stella's, The Roosevelt, Lehja, L'Opossum, Metzger, Peter Chang's, Heritage and Rappahannock restaurants all opened that decade.
• Carytown, too, was still finding its mile-of-style stride when Ripp took over the vacant former Tiffanys Bridal shop nearly 20 years ago.
• He was hoping to build something approachable and vibrant amid the empty storefronts that dotted the streets, he told Richmond Magazine in 2020 .

Zoom in: Ripp went big, transforming the 7,500 square foot space into an all-day classic French brassiere with a massive bar, sexy wood paneling, red leather booths, cafe seating, vintage fixtures and open-air windows, that, yes, looked remarkably similar to Balthazar in NYC.

• Ripp's goal with Can Can was to offer something for everyone, either through classic French dishes like beef bourguignon and quiche, morning coffee and pastries made by a dedicated pastry chef, bar food specials, happy hour deals on the sommelier-curated wine list, or bread service made fresh daily in the in-house bakery.
• The food was very good, the service fantastic and the overall experience was exceptional. That all made Can Can destination dining before Richmond was considered a destination for dining.
• In turn, many locals who ventured into Carytown to check out the buzzy Can Can eventually explored more of the city — and Richmond restaurants. And that may well be Can Can's most lasting legacy.

Yes, but: The staff, product and skills to execute a restaurant like that— not to mention the maintenance on an old building — aren't cheap, which was the chief reason the Kincaid brothers just sold it, John Kincaid tells Axios.

When Ripp owned Can Can, much of the behind-the-scenes infrastructure, including accounting, maintenance and HR, were covered through Ripp's father's restaurant group, the Richmond Restaurant Company , which owns most of the local Arby's.

• The expense and the logistics of two brothers covering those meant they couldn't move the needle on the things they cared about, like raising employee pay and 401(K) matches.
• So the brothers started to have conversations about a sale two years ago, and those turned serious over the summer.
• Healy and his restaurant group could ultimately give the restaurant the attention it needs and the staff the pay and benefits they deserve, Kincaid said. That's what sealed the deal for him.

Fun fact: That restaurant group is where Healy got his start in the restaurant business, working under Dick, learning how to "cost out a sandwich," he tells Axios.

• So when he heard that Can Can was for sale, he jumped at the chance to buy into the family legacy.
• "I'm probably the last man standing that was managed by Dick Ripp. So it's all come full circle," Healy says.

Worth noting: The sale also includes Can Can's downtown weekday cafe .

What's next: The sale is complete. Now we just have to wait and see if Healy can keep that je ne sais quoi that made Can Can so special to Richmonders for the last 20 years.

Editor's note: This story has been updated with comments from John Kincaid.