Margaritaville corporate headquarters expanding
posted December 21st, 2007 at 10:58 pm by Josh Martin |
Margaritaville Enterprises LLC, Buffett’s company that manages his restaurants, merchandise, and other enterprises, will move their corporate headquarters to a newly constructed nearby office complex. The Orlando Business Journal has the story:
Buffett’s Margaritaville Enterprises LLC — which earns an estimated $100 million annually through music, restaurants, casinos, beer, tequila and clothing — recently signed a 10-year lease for 62,502 square feet of industrial space at Crownpointe Commerce Park.
Tom McFadden of Southern Commercial Real Estate Advisors, who represented the landlord, says the Buffett-owned company plans to use the space as its corporate headquarters. The company will build 12,000 to 15,000 square feet of office space and use the remaining space to store merchandise for Buffett’s Parrotthead empire.
| Tagged in Business Empire, Margaritaville Cafes | 21 Comments » |
Hi
I am trying to email you a complaint about your Ocho Rios Jamaica Margaritaville. I may have sent two other emails so I am sorry if this is a repeat. I am trying my best.
First of all I went to your Ocho Rios Jamaica Margaritaville this last week on the day of February 11, with twenty of my travel companions and we had a wonderful time eating lunch and drinking Margaritas, singing and dancing with the music. Two days later on the night of Feb. 13th, I went back to Margaritaville in Ocho Rios with ten other friends from my group because of the great time we had there two days before. I ordered a Margarita on the rocks salted, my favorite. I got a Margarita with no tequila. I paid for it and tipped him and the next drink I hoped that because I tipped him he would bring me a Margarita with the tequila. The bartender brought me my drink for the second time with no tequila. I paid for my drink $7.75 for the second time with a dollar tip for the second time. Now I didn’t want anymore so I didn’t order another drink. When I was just about finished with my third drink he brought me another Margarita again with no tequila. I didn’t order the drink but took it again and paid for the third time $7.75. I paid a total of $23.75 for drinks that had no alcohol. Also the change from the drinks was on the bar (Jamaican money) and he took the change without asking (it was under and around my purse) as a tip for himself. The money totalled $1.50 in Jamaican money.
Now I bet your asking why I didn’t complain. Well I know I should have but I felt very uncomfortable and scared. I was not the only one who felt this way. My travel companions, men and women all between the ages of 45 and 55 all felt the same way. There was alot of security out side the restaurant in the mall area but nothing inside that we could see. This night there were very few tourists and alot of locals who were not very friendly. We were stuck at the restaurant because our ride back to the Riu (our resort) was not due back, we had to wait for him.
I did not complain to the bartender because I was scared of him and I was scared of all the other employees and what my complaint might start and trouble that might ensue. I know that there were other people who were not happy with their drinks either and for the same reason (fear) did not complain.
Also the music entertainment was for a short time Jimmy Buffet music turned way down low so that we could barely hear it. They did have a DJ that played next and the music he played was terrible. We did ask if he could speed it up a bit and he did not. He played for the bartenders because they knew all the songs, Celine Dion and other crap that you would hardly think would be at Margaritaville.
I have been to the Las Vegas Margaritaville several times with friends and family and also the Key West Margaritaville and also Cheeseburger in Paradise in the Chicago area. My friends and family love going because of the great drinks and the wonderful Buffet music of which we are all big fans.
This visit was a major disappointment because the drinks were not what we ordered, no alcohol, we were too afraid to say anything. There were hookers there. I know for sure because one of them offered her services to one of my travel companions. Also the trademark Buffet music was not even played for us.
I am a Chicago girl and I am not afraid of much and never afraid to complain at restaurants and bars. I have traveled to Canada and Mexico and all over the United States and never have I felt that uncomfortable in an establishment. We were told not to go out in towns in Jamaica but because it was a Margaritaville we felt that we would be safe. Yes we did get back to the hotel in one piece but this was the first time I ever felt I was not safe in a Margaritaville.
I just felt that you should know. I love your restaurant and will never turn down an opportunity to visit any of them but never again in Jamaica. I think that perhaps you should take a look at what I happening there. I wouldh’t want anything to hurt the good name of your restaurant/bar.
Thanks a loving fan of Jimmy Buffett.
Kathie Johnson
1509 Cherrywood Lane
New Lenox, IL 60451
815-485-5911
I’m writing today to warn anybody who visits the Ocho Rios location of Margaritaville to not use their credit card to pay for your tab. I visited the Ocho Rios Jamaica location on our way back to our waiting cruise ship. I was only in Jamaica for a short four hours on a tour of the falls there. After the tour of the falls, we stopped by Margaritaville for lunch before reboarding our ship. The reason I mention this is because due to our short stay in Jamaica I made no other purchases with my credit card. I bet you can see where this is going! Yep, I just got a phone call from the fraud department at Visa asking about suspicious activity on my card. You got it, in Jamaica. Looks like some friendly staff member of the Ocho Rios Margaritaville snagged my card info and went shopping. I can’t help but feel that I wasn’t the only unlucky customer who this has happened to. I bet they’re having a field-day down there with customers card numbers. Pretty sad if you ask me. After also reading the comment left by Kathie Johnson, it’s safe to say that the Ocho Rios location just may need a complete overhaul. Apparantly it’s a haven for crooks and hookers. Does anybody care???
Kurt Feyler
Denver, CO
If you haven’t already, I would be sure to send an e-mail to Margaritaville at info@margaritaville.com
I am trying to reach someone in reference to a green building product that will benefit your company.
Thank you, Margi Bodkin
Please sign me up for Buffettworld at my email address richardflanders@msn.com. Oh, please tell Jimmy to come to Colorado this year.
Thanks,
Richard
I bought a tee shirt in the gift shop on a recent trip to Cozumel, it is a large mens–it is Navy blue and has a margarita on the back surrounded by fish with divers hovering above it and says Cozumel dive team on the front. This is not a large men’s shirt…its more like a small!!!! considering the price I pd for it i am very dissatisfied that is doesn’t fit!!
I just received an email from Ian from the Margaritaville in Cozumel who denies they have a gift shop when is says right on the Margarita Cozumel website that they have store and sell Margaritaville merchandise and i emailed them thru the website!! This company will do anything for a buck!!! I thought i read somewhere that they are expanding….if this is the case, why would they do that when its obvious from the previous posts here they can’t manage the locations they have open. They apparently have thugs managing these facilities. I am teling everyone i know what a rip off Margaritaville is…..in more ways than one.
Does anyone know who or how to the Margaritaville Retail store buyers of merchandise?
Does anyone know who or how to contact the Margaritaville store buyers?
Do you have an address/email address/telephone number for someone besides the “restaurant” level that I could contact regarding a complaint about the Glendale Restaurant? I have emailed the address provided for that location twice with no response. Not only do I get crappy service at the restaurant, I get it via email as well…
thanks for the help…
I have played at the Margaritaville in Myrtle Beach since its opening back in 2004. I worked many dates there and was considered “a favorite” according to then manager, Michael Whitmer. I was one of the performers who was always happy to fill in even with last minute notice and never complained about cancellations or the fact that the outside venues were not necessarily “weather-proof” which I don’t have to tell you isn’t condusive to keeping electrical equipment in top working condition. I didn’t even complain, when at last minute, 21 of my gigs this past year were canceled to make way for a dj they wished to put in place of not only my bookings, but others who were bumped out of Tuesday, Friday and/or Saturday nights. I was told that I would be compensated for the dates that fell within the 30-day written notice of these cancellations. When I heard this, I called the new manager, Chad, and asked if I had done something wrong and punitive action was being taken. He assured me that this was not the case and that I would be one of the first to receive consideration for the following year. About a month later, he informed me, via e-mail..no phone call, that there would be no compensation for any of the lost dates. Still, I did not complain. I had one date left and when that date came, it was the same day a hurricane was heading our way. I called on the day of the gig and the woman I spoke with informed me that the patio would be open until 9pm. My performance was to be from 4:30 until 8:30 so I left my home in Wilmington, NC, in spite of the fact that I had not finished hurricane prep, and headed the 77 miles for Myrtle Beach. When I arrived, I saw that the patio had not been set up and when I went inside, was informed by the manager Chad that the patio was not opening that day. I told Chad that I had just driven down from Wilmington and he pulled me aside and said to me, “I don’t know if it’s your intention to make me look bad in front of my employees, but I think we both assumed, and when you assume, you make an ass of you and me (really, he said this) but I’m sure you understand that these things happen. I said nothing but he could tell that I was displeased. How many times I thought to myself would I have to turn the other cheek? To make a long story short, I have not received any dates for 2009, nor a phone call from Chad as promised and after having spoken with other managers there, been told that it was because of my conversation with Chad on that last day there. I don’t think it was too much to ask to get a phone call before hand and yes, things slip through the cracks, but Chad treated me with such disrespect on that day that I had to speak out about it. I’ve always enjoyed playing there and made many friends as a result. If I was not doing a good job, so be it…but if it is because of my last encounter with Chad on that day, I think there is something seriously wrong with the way this was handled. If there is any question regarding my work ethic or loyalty to Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville, I ask that you contact Mike Whitmer in the Pompano Beach Margaritaville.
Thank you for letting me share this experience with you.
my mistake…Mike Whitmer is in the Panama City, FL location..
Hi
Just reading my comments of last year. Can you do me a favor and take my address and phone number off. Thanks Kathie Johnson
Just finished a cruise to carribean..All of the margaritavilles R the koolest places to go, but man R they a ripoff! Way overpriced and the morons who work there will do everything they kan to get ur money! Mostly americanos who koodn’t hold a job in the U.S. If Jimmy new how bad it wuzz heed run em all off, after all its his name on the door! I’ll stay on the boat next cruise!!
I haven’t been to many margaritaville restraunts, just the ones in New Orleans & Orlando. I’ve had a great time in each of the locations,which brings me to the purpose of this e-mail. Margaritaville would be perfect for The Market Square here in San Antonio,Texas. they already have t-shirts that say “welcome to margaritaville,Tx. I asume because the margarita is the unofficial coctail of San Antonio & there is the ever popular cerveza of your choice. It’s a match that can’t lose. Think IT over
Post Script: Excuse the erroneous spelling. I need to stop drinking when I’m shifting from first into second.
Hey Jimmy : What happend to the Great Manager at your Key West location named Lou.Word around the campfire is he got shoved out of his job by corporate and replaced by a Manager that likes to diddle the staff.
AFTER that guy got fired corporate brought in a pretty face without half the experience or people skills as Lou. Do Key West a favor bring Lou back and pay him what he desrves. For future reference- if you keep screwing over the locals down here we’ll protest your parrothead convention.
I have just come back from vacation in Las Vegas. After visiting the Margaritaville in Orlando last year, I was really looking forward to visiting the restaurant in Las Vegas. All I can say is I was extremely disappointed. We waited ages for a table. When we were called the table hadn’t been cleared from the previous diners so we had to wait whilst they did this. I asked for a strawberry margarita on the rocks and recieved a lime margarita with shaved ice. When our starters eventually came, they were stone cold so had to be sent back. We waited half hour for them to bring us some more. Whilst we were eating them, our mains were brought out, which again were stone cold. At no point did they play any Jimmy Buffet songs, and the atmosphere was appalling. I feel extremely disappointed as I was looking forward to going to another Margaritaville after the wonderful experience I had at the restaurant in Orlando.
I attended the concert in charlottesville, VA in November, 2209. The show was awesome of course, and I had great seats!!! However, I bought a souvenir t-shirt afterwards and got home to realize that it said “Tour 08″ The Year of Still Here. It does not even have a location listed in Virginia. I am very disappointed. I do suppose I should have read the shirt closely but I bought it because of it’s design, not thinking it would have said 2008 on it.
Hey Jimmy!
I love all your restaurants. Great ritas, Great beer, Great burgers, Great music. It is the best place on Earth. Keep up the great work and ill stay wasting away in Margaritaville!!!!!!!!!
We visited Margarita Ville at the airport in Cancun Nov.30 2009 and we were severely overcharged. Because we signed the receipt which was not an itemized receipt, which we should have scrutinized at the time of purchase( gee we were on our way to catch our plane ) we are responsible for the outrageous charge. We purchased 2 chicken wraps, 1 cheeseburger, to Margaritas and on chardonnay and they charged our account $179.70!!!!