Jimmy Buffett, along with Outrigger Enterprises Group, have unveiled plans for a new restaurant in Waikiki, Hawaii. Construction will begin soon on “Jimmy Buffett’s At The Beachcomber,” with completion scheduled for the end of this year.

OHANA Waikiki Beachcomber’s $21 million revitalization momentum continues with Jimmy Buffett’s at the Beachcomber and is slated to open in late 2008. Construction of the $15 million project will start soon. The venue will occupy more than 22,000 square feet with customer seating of 400.

“Our partnership with Jimmy Buffett has made it possible to bring this unique new concept to Waikiki,” said Dean Nakasone, general manager of OHANA Waikiki Beachcomber. “Guests staying at the newly transformed OHANA Waikiki Beachcomber will get to enjoy Jimmy’s island-style magic, making their stayhere even more special.”

Jimmy Buffett’s at the Beachcomber will occupy a prominent location on Kalakaua Avenue above Macy’s in the OHANA Waikiki Beachcomber hotel’s lobby level. The restaurant is a festive celebration of Jimmy’s adventurous lifestyle and the natural wonders of Hawaii. Guests will be able to choose to dine or enjoy their favorite beverage in open air lanais or within one of theextraordinary island atmospheres created throughout the facility.

“From the first time I rode a wave at Canoes on Waikiki I began to figure out how I could get back to Hawaii on a more regular basis to that One Particular Harbour,” said Jimmy Buffett. “I’m not the first nor will I be the last traveler to do so, but now with the partnership of the great folks at Outrigger Hotels, I have realized my dream and we will soon be open in Waikiki. I have had a long love affair with Hawaii and her people. Mark Twain called these ‘the loveliest fleet of islands anchored in any ocean’ and I couldn’t agree more. I have written many stories and songs inspired by my time in Hawaii and can’t wait to see what the future holds in the land that is so far but yet so near. Mahalo.”

Learn more about Buffett’s business empire here.

In an interview with ABC’s Barbara Walters, legendary actor Harrison Ford reveals that a lunchtime birthday celebration with Jimmy Buffett and the late Ed Bradley inspired him to get his ear pierced:

Ford told ABC’s Barbara Walters that he decided to have his ear pierced “after a somewhat indulgent lunchtime in celebration of either Jimmy Buffet or Ed Bradley’s birthday. …We shared a bottle of wine and I got enthusiastic about Jimmy and Ed’s earrings and went out and got one right after lunch.”

Ford is interviewed as part of “The Barbara Walters Oscar Special,” which airs at 7 p.m. EST Sunday just before the Academy Awards ceremony from Los Angeles.

Ford’s next film, “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull,” is due out May 22, while the drama “Crossing Over” is slated for a June release.

Read the entire article here.

Billboard.com has more information on the “Live At Texas Stadium” album:

Alan Jackson, George Strait and Jimmy Buffett’s May 29, 2004, concert bash at Dallas’ Texas Stadium is the source for a 15-track live album due April 3 via MCA Nashville. The aptly named “Live at Texas Stadium” features each man performing five tracks, both on his own and in collaboration with the other two artists.

Here is the track list for the album:

George Strait:
“Honk if You Honky Tonk”
“Murder on Music Row” (with Alan Jackson)
“Milk Cow Blues”
“Cowboys Like Us”
“All My Ex’s Live in Texas” (with Jimmy Buffett)

Jimmy Buffett:
“Hey Good Lookin’” (with George Strait)
“Sea of Heartbreak” (with George Strait)
“Northeast Texas Women”
“Boats To Build” (with Alan Jackson)
“Margaritaville” (with Alan Jackson)

Alan Jackson:
“It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere” (with Jimmy Buffett)
“Designated Drinker” (with George Strait)
“Texas Woman”
“Seven Bridges Road”
“Where I Come From”

Pre-order the album now.

LiveNation.com has confirmed three more tour dates for this year’s “Year Of Still Here Tour.”

• Sat., July 19th – Alpine Valley Music Theater – East Troy, WI
• Thurs., July 24th – Toyota Park – Bridgeview, IL
• Sat., July 26th – Toyota Park – Bridgeview, IL

Tickets go on sale Monday, March 3rd at 10 am CST.

View all tour dates currently scheduled here.

Hat tip to Dave for passing this along!

Tickets for the April 26th concert at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas will go on sale via pre-sale through Ticketmaster on Wednesday, February 27th at 10 am CST and run through Sunday, March 2nd.

They will go on sale for the general public on the following day, Monday, March 3rd at 10 am CST.

Ticket prices are $44.50 – $126.00.

When we know the pre-sale password, we will pass it on to you.

Radio Margaritaville’s Miles Hampton announced tonight that Jimmy Buffett and the Coral Reefer Band will play a show at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas on Saturday, April 26th.

Tickets will go on sale through Ticketmaster on Monday, March 3rd.

He also said that this year’s tour will be called the “The Year Of Still Here.”

We expect more tour dates to come out within the next few days.

Crain’s Detroit Press has an article on Ferndale-based Garden Fresh Gourmet, Inc., who just inked a deal with Margaritaville Foods to produce Buffett’s newest creation: Margaritaville Salsa.

On Dec. 21, Garden Fresh signed a manufacturing and production deal to produce a full line of salsa, hummus, tortillas and dips for singer and songwriter Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville Foods.

“It’s really a great move for us. We have a shot at doubling the size of our company in 18 months,” said Garden Fresh Vice Chairman Dave Zilko.

Margaritaville Foods, inspired by songs written by Buffett, already has several other lines of food and drinks that include frozen seafood, beer, tequila and margarita mix.

After considering other manufacturers, Margaritaville President Tom Keane said they chose Garden Fresh for two reasons.

“First of all, they make great products. But that was sort of a minimal threshold for us,” Keane said. “What really separated them from other people was just the passion they have for the business.”

Already, Garden Fresh is distributing Margaritaville salsa nationwide to Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Costco Wholesale Corp.’s Los Angeles division. It’s planning to begin distribution in April to Kroger Co. and is close to an agreement with Meijer Inc.

Margaritaville Foods was established about four years ago as the consumer and packaged goods division of Orlando, Fla.-based Margaritaville Enterprises L.L.C.

Zilko said sales of Margaritaville’s frozen seafood line went from zero to $50 million in about three years and believes Garden Fresh products have the potential for similar growth.

Read the entire article here, or learn more about Buffett’s business empire here.

Make that two Cheeseburger In Paradise restaurants that have announced plans this week to close. First, the Asheville, North Carolina location, and now the Lansing, Michigan location that opened two years ago. The parent company, OSI Restaurant Partners Inc., has altered its strategic planning and is closing stores that no longer fit into this new plan according to the Lansing State Journal:

The restaurant, at 5924 W. Saginaw Highway, was closed “because it no longer fits the strategic plans for the Cheeseburger in Paradise brand,” parent company OSI Restaurant Partners Inc. said. The Tampa, Fla.-based company said it will relocate employees to other nearby company restaurants. Among others, OSI owns Outback Steakhouse, which has area locations in Delta Township and Okemos, and Carrabba’s Italian Grill, with a location in Delta Township. Cheeseburger in Paradise opened in Delta Township in 2006.

Cheeseburger in Paradise was founded in August 2002 and is owned by Outback Steakhouse, under a license from Buffett. The “island fantasy” concept features colorful cocktails and live music as well as Key West-style architecture and decor that offer customers an escape from the daily grind.

In 2005, Jimmy Buffett sold his holdings of the chain to Outback Steakhouse, Inc., who previously held a 50% share in the chain. Outback pays a royalty of 4.5 percent of restaurant sales to Buffett.

To find locations and get other information, visit the official homepage of Cheeseburger In Paradise here.

UPDATE: York, PA and Greenville, SC locations closing too. Report other closures by leaving a comment to this post.

The crew of the space shuttle Atlantis awoke Wednesday morning to Buffett’s song “Oysters and Pearls.”

The crew began preparing for the spacewalk after waking up to Jimmy Buffett’s “Oysters and Pearls,” which opens with lyrics about Charles Lindbergh’s historic solo non-stop flight across the Atlantic.

It was played for Atlantis’ pilot, Alan Poindexter, who will coordinate Wednesday’s spacewalk from inside the station.

“We’re looking forward to a great day on orbit and a great (spacewalk) and having Rex and Hans out the door here real soon,” Poindexter said.

It’s not the first time that the shuttle Atlantis has hosted Buffett’s music. On September 16th, 2006 the Atlantis crew awoke to Buffett’s “Twelve Volt Man.”

The three year old Cheeseburger In Paradise restaurant in Asheville, North Carolina has closed, according to the Asheville Citizen-Times:

“The closure is a prudent business decision for us at this time, but we would like to serve our loyal Asheville customers again at some point in the future,” Matt Wissman, joint venture partner of Cheeseburger in Paradise in the North Carolina area, said in a press release. “On behalf of all of us at the restaurant, we want to express our appreciation to the Asheville community for their patronage over the past years.”

Wissman said the company will work with employees “to re-locate them to one of the other company restaurants in the area.” Cheeseburger in Paradise is a subsidiary of OSI Restaurant Partners, LLC, which also owns Outback Steakhouses.

Buffett played a benefit show there on January 11th, 2005 to celebrate the grand opening. The event raised $96,000 for Eblen Charities, whose programs serve thousands of Western North Carolinians.

Cheeseburger in Paradise was founded in August 2002 and is owned by Outback Steakhouse, under a license from Buffett. The “island fantasy” concept features colorful cocktails and live music as well as Key West-style architecture and decor that offer customers an escape from the daily grind.

In 2005, Jimmy Buffett sold his holdings of the chain to Outback Steakhouse, Inc., who previously held a 50% share in the chain. Outback pays a royalty of 4.5 percent of restaurant sales to Buffett.

To find locations and get other information, visit the official homepage of Cheeseburger In Paradise here.