Pete's Place the 'Cheers' of Canton

Pete Bersani first started working at what would become his bar when he was 18, and he never thought he’d end up owning the place.

“It was kind of a no brainer, you always want to own a pub growing up in this business and it was awesome that it just ended up being this place,” he said.

Bersani, the namesake of Pete’s Place in Canton, worked through three other owners before purchasing the place himself in 2003.  Originally, Pete’s Place was WB’s, then Killroy’s and Centerfields. Bersani said he bought the place after Centerfields moved across the street.

“It’s a great town and a great little pub over the years,” he said. “I stayed on originally because I had built a lot of clientele and friends with the people around town over the years.”

Bersani said his sister, Valerie Marques, worked with him in the kitchen since he opened.

“She’d take care of the food and I take care of the bar,” he said.

And Bersani said he takes the food very seriously.

“We have eight to 10 different vendors we rotate through with different products,” he said. “We pick a lot of things ourselves during the week.”

Bersani admitted going into it he was worried about whether he could be successful, and a large amount of hard work went into that. He also said being near Boston this past decade was a big help as well.

“It was the best 10 years in sports history for Boston,” he said. “With all the championships from the Red Sox, Bruins, Pats and Celtics, it definitely helped to make a fun 10 years of business.”

Bersani said his regular clientele from when he started still come in, and he said his regulars are not just the core of his business.

“It’s been the regulars over the years that helped make it fun and kept us going,” he said. “A lot of the clientele are good friends and it’s like a real family "Cheers" type of place. It’s one of those nice cozy pubs where everybody knows each other and we have a really good time.”

Bersani said one of their most popular drinks, which he helped design, is called the Kill Kool Aide drink.

“It’s a kind of fun fruity and potent drink you only really have one of,” he said. “I started it 20 years ago and every one will try one once in a while.”

Bersani said it’s the bar’s signature drink, but like most local signature drinks, moderation is a key factor.

“They always get too much booze in them so you should only have one or two,” he said.

Bersani said they are currently in the process of refreshing and redoing their menu.

“We haven’t had a new menu for a few years now,” he said. “We’re changing some items and putting on some nice new Panini sandwiches. We’re also trying to bring more homemade Italian flare to the menu rather than just pub food.”

Pete’s Place is located on 614 Washington St. in the center of town and is open everyday from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m.