Westbury Restaurant Guide

The term "Been there, done that" has become a line often used to describe the bar scene on Long Island, but one long night changed it all. Promoter and bar operator Tim Lorito set off for a Memorial Day weekend in the Hamptons with partner Matt Dill. Their night started with dinner at Georgia and hours of endless discussions about pushing the limits and doing something that hasn't been done before in the bar business. "Matt and I started brainstorming, writing notes on napkins, and began drawing out design ideas. We never made it out that weekend; instead, we headed home. We locked ourselves inside the house until our plan was complete. "Lorito went on to say, "We questioned ourselves "Why isn't there a focus on canned beer anymore?" Many years ago, the traditional way to enjoy a cold one was to pop open a can. If you were a beer lover, there was no greater sound. There was no lemon or lime to go with a cutte bottle back then. We realized a place called Cans could potentially not only be a great Long Island gathering spot, but the start of a national chain. I had this vision of an old Texas roadhouse with a southern twist, putting the emphasis on canned beer. I remembered the old song 100 bottles of beer on the wall and thought, why not 100 cans of beer? That same week Mr. Lorito, who is the promoter of Glo Night Club in Westbury, took a break from a meeting to grab some lunch at cafe Baci, located on the corner of Old Country Road and Post Avenue. While gazing out the window, he noticed a "For Rent" sign in the neighboring shopping center. After going inside this 4,000 square foot disaster of an abandoned restaurant, he called Matt, who is not only a bar owner but is a contractor as well, and the two began to realize their vision of what will be the first Cans in the country. Within 24 hours they signed a lease, added a "z" instead of an "s" at the end and "Canz" was born.