Do you feel that? A warm, island breeze is blowing your way. Luckily, you have a cold
cerveza to cool you down — no shoes required. Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville isn't just a
song, restaurant and resort brand — it's a way of life. Here's the untold truth of
Margaritaville.
It may be hard to believe, but this massive lifestyle brand and hospitality giant all
began with a little song back in 1977 — with origins that may surprise you. With talks
of flip flops, oil, and tourists, you may think the inspiration had to have struck Jimmy
Buffet while he was lounging on a beach somewhere.
But according to Wide Open Country, the Country Music Association Single of the Year-nominated
song was actually dreamt up in Austin, Texas. Far from a beach, Buffet was dining at the
then Lung's Cocina del Sur and sipping on, shall we say, a tequila-forward frozen concoction.
The drink lacked a salted rim, which got Buffet thinking about that lost shaker of salt.
The idea stuck with him, and Buffet began writing it while still in Austin visiting
a friend. With the concept still in its early stages, Buffet headed to Key West, where he
had quite a night. Coming home from a bar, he lost one of his flip-flops, and decided
that needed to be part of the story as well. His producer was hesitant at first, but when
Buffet spewed out the line, "Wasted away again in Margaritaville" — they knew they had
a massive hit on their hands. It went on to top Billboard's Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks
chart and have the staying power to eventually land him a spot in the Grammy Hall of Fame
many years later.
"Out of all the people out there trying to make it, somehow, somehow I was able to slip
through the cracks. And I appreciate it."
Jimmy Buffet quickly took notice of the movement that began with the 1977 release of Margaritaville.
Fans not only loved it, but they wanted to live out that lifestyle lamented in the popular
track. Key West was naturally the perfect place for Buffet to further tap into his market,
and in 1985 the first successful Margaritaville opened as a retail concept, and it remains
to this day.
Owned and operated by Margaritaville Holdings LLC, there were initially only three small
restaurants operating in Key West and Jamaica. The then-CEO of Margaritaville Holdings, John
Cohlan, saw something much grander. In 1999, the company licensed a 20,000 square-foot-space
at Universal Orlando Florida's City Walk and it instantly began a smash success.
They have now expanded to over 30 locations around the world. In addition to a number
of spots in the United States, they have locations in the Caribbean, Mexico, Canada, and even
operate a number of restaurants in airports. Step one foot inside a Margaritaville restaurant
and you'll feel like you're instantly transported into the song. With palm trees galore and
larger than life frozen concoction machines, they fully embrace the lifestyle in their
décor. Their menu features standard American fare with some tropical influences and, of
course, several varieties of Margaritas and frozen drinks from the 5 O'Clock Somewhere
Bar.
While Jimmy Buffet was once sponsored by Corona, it was only natural to expand his empire with
beverages, since they were the inspiration for so many of his songs and a pivotal focal
point of the lifestyle. Brewed by Anheuser-Busch, LandShark is another brainchild of Buffet
and his team. After receiving a "no" from the powers that be at Corona when proposing
to start their own beer in partnership, Buffett and company implored upon Anheuser-Busch.
Luckily for Buffet and his crew, Anheuser-Busch was in the market to compete with the success
of Corona.
In partnership with Anheuser-Busch, LandShark Lager launched in 2006 under the Margaritaville
Brewing label. The success of the beer led to the eventual creation of Landshark Bar
and Grills. Similar to Margaritaville, these restaurants embrace the lifestyle of Parrot
Heads and feature specialty margaritas and an expansive menu of burgers, salads, and
seafood. Smaller than the Margaritaville chain, there are just under 20 LandShark Bar & Grills
around the country, with most of them located in beach towns like Pensacola Beach, Hollywood
Beach, and Jacksonville Beach.
If we haven't made it abundantly clear, Margaritaville is much more than a song or a restaurant — it's
a way of life. With captivated spenders, Jimmy Buffet was ready and willing to give the people
what they wanted. And we're talking about a lot of people. It's estimated that over
20 million people visit a Margaritaville each year. The next step would include dressing
the part of the lifestyle. The global Margaritaville brand has expanded in the apparel department,
with clothing, swimwear, and footwear.
Looking to spruce up your own joint? You can even give your home a Margaritaville makeover,
with their line of home décor bringing the island life right to you. In 2015, Margaritaville
Enterprises partnered with Home Shopping Network exclusively, for a new line of culinary, home,
electronics, beauty, and apparel products. Through the new distribution platform, Margaritaville
would be able to reach even more people. You no longer needed to leave the couch to embrace
the Margaritaville attitude.
For a truly immersive experience, the Margaritaville brand expanded to hotels in 2010. It was first
attempted in 2007 with the idea for a Margaritaville Casino Resort in Mississippi, but due to the
recession in the United States, the construction was immediately halted and plans were scrapped.
The first successful launch of the hotel brand opened in 2010. The Margaritaville Beach Hotel,
located on Pensacola Beach, sits smack dab right on the white sand beaches of the gulf
on Florida's panhandle.
Margaritaville tapped one of the nation's leading hospitality management companies,
Davidson Hotels & Resorts, to run many of their concepts. They currently operate 24
resorts across six countries, including an all-inclusive concept in Cancun, Mexico.
While the original plans for a Margaritaville Casino were scrapped, Jimmy Buffet's company
did eventually go on to see that idea come to fruition. The brand took a role of the
dice in 2011, when the first Margaritaville Casino opened up at the Flamingo Las Vegas.
The 15,000 square foot casino features the Five O'Clock Somewhere Bar and plenty of atmosphere,
including palm trees, to instantly transport you to the island state of mind. Gaining national
attention, they celebrated the launch with a boozy publicity stunt, by setting the Guinness
World Record for the world's largest margarita when they created an 8,500-gallon cocktail
made with over 2,000 gallons of tequila.
The island-style casinos have since expanded to Bossier City, Louisiana, with smaller concepts
at existing casino properties, including the Resorts Casino Hotel in Atlantic City and
River Spirit Casino in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
While the Margaritaville lifestyle embraces the carefree mindset of Island life, Jimmy
Buffet's brand is hoping to bring that laid-back attitude where it is needed most: to the hustle
and bustle of major cities. The first urban concept for the hotel brand opened in Nashville,
Tennessee in 2019. Located in the heart of the city's downtown, Margaritaville Hotel
Nashville is an oasis of a property, with a tranquil rooftop pool and relaxation space
as well as new dining concept, Fins Bar, an open-air full-service bar and restaurant.
The property also houses Radio Margaritaville's Music City studio, which allows visitors to
peak into the inner workings of the brand's SIRIUS XM channel. The Margaritaville Vacation
Club by Wyndham occupies several levels of the high rise and the lobby plays host to
the brand's higher end dining concept with the JWB Grill.
Things are looking up as the brand is tackling the big apple for their second urban concept.
Located in one of the most coveted and sought-after real estate locations in the world, Margaritaville
Resort Times Square is currently under construction, and is set to combine luxury with the fun
and vibrancy that the Margaritaville brand is known for.
If you've fully embraced the lifestyle and mentality of a Parrot Head, you can take things
one step further by retiring in Margaritaville. No, not that state of mind stuff we've been
talking about — this is an actual retirement community, aptly named Latitude Margaritaville.
Buffet set his sights on the popular retirement destination of Florida for this next venture.
The $1 billion dollar project opened its doors in Daytona Beach with over 7,000 homes available
in the low six-figures. The property, fit for the aging Parrot Head, features spas,
multiple resort-style pools, recreational activities, food and beverage concepts, and
even an on-site shuttle ready to bring you on over to the beach.
"It's going to be 5 o'clock somewhere, right?"
We couldn't think of a better way to watch the sun bake for the rest of our days. Many
agree, considering the brand has since announced two more Latitude Margaritaville properties
slated for the near future in Hilton Head, South Carolina and Watersound, Florida.
Margaritaville will, without a doubt, have lasting power for generations to come. Even
if the popularity of the restaurants and hotels fade, it has been forever cemented on the
big screen. The 2015 blockbuster smash, Jurassic World, featured an appearance from none other
than Jimmy Buffet himself. Thanks to a longstanding friendship with the movie's producer Frank
Marshall, visitors of the fictitious Isla Nublar could partake in frosty margaritas
while escaping the dinosaurs at a Margaritaville.
In the movie, the scene hilariously depicts Buffet attempting to keep his margarita safe
as dinosaurs wreak havoc and terrorize the park. His priorities were clearly in order!
According to Cinema Blend, the booze was flowing for extras who appeared in Isla Nublar's Margaritaville
— in order to maintain artistic integrity, of course. Talk about a lot to drink about.
Check out one of our newest videos right here! Plus, even more Mashed videos about your favorite
stuff are coming soon. Subscribe to our YouTube channel and hit the bell so you don't miss
a single one.