NEWPORT BEACH

The owner of the Cannery says he is selling the land the restaurant sits on, but he intends to keep it open. Although the sale is not final, he said negotiations for a long-term lease of the land are in the works,

Longtime restaurateur Bill Hamilton declined to say who the approximately one-acre parcel of waterfront land at 3010 Lafayette Ave. was being sold to or the price, but he did say the buyer is a Newport Beach group.

Hamilton opened the Cannery more than 25 years ago. He opened Malarky’s Irish Pub on Newport Boulevard in 1977 and the Riverboat Cafe on East Coast Highway in 1996. He said he plans to retire this year, turning over the day-to-day operations of the restaurants to managers.