Margaritaville to Open in Niagara Falls This Spring

The first Margaritaville Cafe in Canada will open in late spring or early summer in Niagara Falls, Ontario:

Margaritaville Canada Ltd. has signed a lease with the owners of the Skylon Tower to open the 14,000-square-foot, two-story restaurant on Fallsview Avenue, across from the Niagara Fallsview Casino and Resort.

Margaritaville is scheduled to open by late spring or early summer, said George Davidson, Margaritaville Canada president and chief executive officer.

The restaurant is moving into the site of the former Wolfgang Puck’s Cafe, which closed last summer.

Margaritaville Canada is investing “several million” into the Niagara Falls project, Davidson said. The restaurant is the first of several the Calgary-based company has planned for Canada. The company has the exclusive Margaritaville rights for Canada.

“The (Niagara Falls) location is just spectacular,” Davidson said. “You couldn’t find a better site between all the activity and overlooking the falls.”

Davidson said the restaurant site is currently being expanded. Part of the renovations call for a second-story outdoor patio that will offer dramatic views of Niagara Falls.

Margaritaville will have a 350-person seating capacity, an increase over Wolfgang Puck’s capacity by more than 175 seats.

The restaurant, during the peak summer season, is expected to employ at least 250 people on a full- and part-time basis.

Davidson confirmed plans are in the works for other Margaritaville’s across Canada. One will anchor the revamped Calgary Stampede grounds and complex.

“You can probably guess what other cities might end up with one,” Davidson said.

He said locations in Toronto and Vancouver are being considered.

As for the restaurant’s namesake, might Buffett be making an appearance in Niagara Falls.

“You never know,” Davidson said. “He has been known to stop in his other restaurants from time-to-time.”

The Calgary location is under construction and there are reports that a location will open in Edmonton. And last month we told you about the possibility of a Nashville location.

See where the other Margaritaville Cafes are located here.