Jimmy Buffett’s latest Margaritaville restaurant opened for business on Monday in Destin, Florida.

from The Destin Log:

With the cut of a ribbon, over-the-top margaritas and enough fanfare to make Mickey Mouse jealous, Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville is ready to “let the fin begin” after Monday’s grand opening.

“I can’t begin to tell you how excited we are to be here,” said Flavio Yepo, the restaurant’s general manager.

The 27,000-square foot, harbor front restaurant is the newest edition to HarborWalk Village. The Buffett-inspired eatery was packed to the gills with hungry residents, news media and Parrot Heads.

With both indoor and outdoor seating, Margaritaville sits in the former home of Lucky Snapper along the harbor, and features enough seating for more than 400 guests.

Margaritaville has already hired and trained more than 200 employees to work in its Destin location.

As for whether the famed singer will make an appearance? You’ll just have to keep an eye and ear open as Buffett is known to play impromptu shows at his various restaurants nationwide.

View more photos from the opening here.

The latest Margaritaville is opening in just 10 days. Margaritaville Destin at HarborWalk Village is nearing completion and will open with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 10 am on Monday, February 17th.

The Destin Log has more: “‘It’s 5 o’ clock somewhere’ — and soon: Destin’s Margaritaville taking shape as opening nears”

Destin’s Margaritaville restaurant should make any Parrothead proud as its opening day nears.

“This is going to be awesome,” Legendary Inc. CEO Peter Bos told The Log during a Saturday morning tour of the construction site. “It’s going to turn the harbor upside down.”

Walking through the roughly 15,000 square foot, three-story restaurant, one could easily imagine Jimmy Buffett’s famed “Cheeseburger in Paradise” playing on the sound system and margaritas flowing from one of the many bars.

Whether it’s the custom-made tables adorned with Buffett-inspired images or the nautical themed accessories, the restaurant is coming together. And don’t think that Buffet doesn’t know it.

“He’s been here a couple of times,” Bos said. “He’s real pleased with the restaurant.”

When entering the restaurant from the upper level at HarborWalk Village, guests will immediately be greeted by a giant buoy, a plane suspended from the ceiling, and if they look directly over the doors, a boat that was repurposed after being purchased from a 70-year-old military veteran in Tallahassee.

Read the full article and view a photo gallery here.

If you were lucky enough to be at one of Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville Cafes on the island of Jamaica the past couple of days, then you might have run in to the man himself! JB made visits to the Ocho Rios and Montego Bay locations.

Jimmy at the Ocho Rios location, from Margaritaville Caribbean’s Facebook:

Jimmy judging a dance contest at the Montego Bay Margaritaville, from Savannah Buffett’s Instagram:

Construction on Jimmy Buffett’s latest Margaritaville restaurant is coming along nicely, with an opening scheduled for late January according to Northwest Florida Daily News:

Construction is expected to wrap up and be turned over to Margaritaville in early January. The staff then will be trained for a couple weeks before the restaurant is expected to open in late January.

Margaritaville is taking over the Lucky Snapper’s footprint, but the entire building is undergoing a major renovation designed by Destin architect Joe Dougherty of Dougherty Architecture. The building has been redesigned to have more of a beach village feel, and will feature several stores, a booking booth for boat charters and a stage on east side of the building.

Buffett has visited Destin to inspect the construction. His most recent trip was about three weeks ago.

“He came in and spent the day,” Peter Bos, CEO of Legendary Inc. said. “He is very, very, very happy with the building and excited about being in Destin.”

How would you like to perform at the new Margaritaville in Destin, Florida when it opens later this year?

The Buffett-themed chain will open a restaurant later this year in Destin’s HarborWalk Village, and the venue’s “entertainment team” is looking for talent. Operators have announced that auditions will be held Oct. 13-15, with acts considered by scheduled appointment only.

Performers wishing to be considered should send an email to destinlivemusic@margaritaville.com. It should include “contact information, play list and a link to a website where we can hear and see samples of your work. In addition, if you are playing any local public venue between Oct. 13-15, please provide the name of the venue, the address, and the time you will be performing.”

Performers will be expected to play a variety of styles of cover music. According to information provided by the restaurant, “Acts are required to perform guest requests and interact with an audience. Acts must focus on performing fun and upbeat music.”