Jimmy Buffett is going up against Bruce Willis and Sylvester Stallone… in business. On Thursday, Hollywood, Florida (near Miami) will hear competing proposals from Margaritaville and Planet Hollywood for a plot of land on the boardwalk. Both pitches include a hotel, which would be a first for Buffett and Margaritaville Enterprises.
John Cohlan, CEO of Margaritaville Enterprises in Palm Beach, said the beachfront location and Hollywood’s no-fuss vibe makes it a good fit for the brand’s first hotel.
“This is a very authentic beach town,” he said. “That’s what Margaritaville is about.”
Plans show a tiki bar wrapped around a seaplane and a sailboat by the pool, as well as an amphitheater with free concerts arranged by the Margaritaville staff.
Margaritaville Hollywood Beach also predicts it will command rates about 15 percent higher than what the top hotels in Fort Lauderdale and Hollywood charge.
“There are certain revenue streams Margaritaville brings to the project,” said Tabatchnick, refering to Buffet-themed shops, restaurants and bars expected to bring in day visitors. “A regularly flagged hotel would not be successful there.”
But the Planet Hollywood team rejects the Buffett boost as a tall tropical tale.
“At the end of the day, Margaritaville is a bar,” said Koslow. “What’s so special about a bar?”
A city panel will hear presentations from both developers Thursday in City Hall starting at 9 a.m. While no stars are expected for the selection panel, Koslow suggested Planet Hollywood would deploy some celebrity muscle for the final vote before city commissioners next month.
“It will be a classic Planet Hollywood presentation,” he said. “If you know the name . . . and the people involved in starting it, you’ll get an idea.”
The big show returned to South Carolina Tuesday night as Jimmy and the band continued the final session of the Summerzcool Tour with a show in Columbia, South Carolina.
The 2010 Summerzcool Tour continues Thursday with a show in Orlando, FL. Between now and then, be sure to catch the Coral Reefers live from Margaritaville Orlando Wednesday night on Radio Margaritaville. Show time is 8:30 central, 9:30 eastern!
posted February 18th, 2010 at 2:59 pm by Josh Martin
We reported back in December on the possibility of a Margaritaville Cafe opening in Nashville and now it’s being confirmed by The Tennessean:
The legendary entertainer’s chain of beach-themed restaurants will open its first Tennessee location by the end of the year on Lower Broadway in the building formerly occupied by Planet Hollywood, Buffett and the owners of the building said Thursday.
Buffett said he’d been thinking about a Nashville location for a long time, considering his own roots here, where his career began. There is enough diversity in the Nashville music scene to support a venue that isn’t based on country music, he said.
“I know about all the people that have lived there who aren’t run through the aperture of country hit radio,” Buffett said. “It’s a very diverse place, and it’s a natural thing to put a stage in, because we have them everywhere else, and you never know who’s going to show up. But we don’t pursue name acts or anything like that. You let your customer dictate what they want, not what you want.”
The 18,000-square-foot building at 322 Broadway has two floors, both of which will be used by the restaurant. It will be operated by Buffett’s Key West, Fla.-based Margaritaville Holdings.
“We have signed a lease and we’re ready to roll,” said Mark Bloom, a principle in the Corner Partnership, which is involved in several other downtown properties including the Hilton and Union Station hotels. Other partners are Ronnie Scott and Larry Papel.
“Buffett wants to make music a big part of the venue here, and the café is going to appeal to the young crowd, locals and visitors to our city,” he said. “Besides the food and special drinks synonymous with Margaritaville, the music will be a special attraction.”
At street level there will be a restaurant, bar and three live-music stages. The second floor will house another bar, additional restaurant seating, and a “small concert hall with state-of-the-art lighting and sound system,” Bloom said.
Total seating capacity is 350, with about 200 in the concert hall upstairs.
Live music will be featured daily. The café will be open from 11 a.m.-3 a.m. seven days a week, Bloom said, and the entertainment will include “a nightly showcase of newcomers.”
The building has been vacant for nearly a year since the most-recent tenant, the Global Café, closed. It’s a prime downtown venue, Bloom said, with the Ryman Auditorium nearby.
“We’ve had several offers from people wanting to lease the building, but we wanted to find something that would create vibrancy downtown and be a big landmark draw,” Bloom said. “It will create a lot of excitement downtown.”
Construction will begin in late April, and will involve a “multimillion-dollar renovation” of the building “from top to bottom,” Bloom said.
It will be the 10th U.S. Margaritaville Café, but will be different from the others in that it will be “more Nashville-centric,” Bloom said.
Buffett said most of the members of his band, the Coral Reefers, live in Nashville. The restaurant will have a circular staircase with a family tree paying tribute to past and present members of the band.
Buffett is treating Nashville well this year. In addition to building the restaurant, he’ll perform at the Sommet Center on May 1st. Tickets go on sale Saturday at 10 am CST through TicketMaster.
posted February 13th, 2010 at 11:58 am by Josh Martin
In January it was announced that Jimmy Buffett would open his first Canadian Margaritaville Cafe in Niagara Falls this summer:
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.
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.
This week there was an official press event to announce the construction of the restaurant. Watch a video report of the event below:
posted January 22nd, 2010 at 4:25 pm by Josh Martin
“Walking to New Orleans” is Paul Leslie’s 330 mile walk from the Margaritaville Cafe Panama City Beach in Florida all the way to an undetermined location in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana. Paul will be walking from January 31, 2010 to February 14, 2010 to raise money to help rebuild the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans still recovering five years after Hurricane Katrina. The walk has been mentioned on over 60 radio stations nationwide as well as in newspapers, magazines, and on television.
Miles Hampton of Radio Margaritaville will be presenting an interview with Paul Leslie on Saturday, January 23, 2010 during the 7PM to 1AM (ET) slot. Tune into SIRIUS 31 / XM 55 / Dish Network Channel 6031 or you can listen from anywhere in the world on www.radiomargaritaville.com
Dennis King (DK the DJ) will be presenting an interview with Paul Leslie on the Island Time radio show on Monday, January 25, 2010 from 10PM to 1AM on WBWC the Sting 88.3.
Hear the webcast worldwide @ www.wbwc.com
Encore heard Saturdays 6 AM & again @ 6 PM, eastern on WLRA 88.1 FM in Chicago, IL. Webcast is: http://www.lewisu.edu/wlra
Encores also heard on: RADIO JIMMY DREAMZ @ http://www.radiojimmydreamz.com TROPICAST ONLINE RADIO @ www.tropicastradio.com
posted January 20th, 2010 at 12:33 pm by Josh Martin
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.
Jimmy Buffett is going up against Bruce Willis and Sylvester Stallone… in business. On Thursday, Hollywood, Florida (near Miami) will hear competing proposals from Margaritaville and Planet Hollywood for a plot of land on the boardwalk. Both pitches include a hotel, which would be a first for Buffett and Margaritaville Enterprises.
The big show returned to South Carolina Tuesday night as Jimmy and the band continued the final session of the 
Today is National Margarita Day and Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville restaurants are celebrating:
“Walking to New Orleans” is Paul Leslie’s 330 mile walk from the Margaritaville Cafe Panama City Beach in Florida all the way to an undetermined location in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana. Paul will be walking from January 31, 2010 to February 14, 2010 to raise money to help rebuild the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans still recovering five years after Hurricane Katrina. The walk has been mentioned on over 60 radio stations nationwide as well as in newspapers, magazines, and on television.
