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Margaritaville Biloxi Casino Opening in Three Weeks

May 3rd, 2012


The ribbon-cutting is nearing for Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville Casino and Restaurant in Biloxi. The Sun Herald reports that the casino will open May 22nd.

Once the VIP celebration gets under way at 5 p.m., the resort opens to the public at 8 p.m.
Buffett says he will be in Biloxi that day, said casino president Tom Brosig, but he’s saving some surprises for the opening.

There are still plenty of finishing touches to be completed before the $62 million resort makes its debut. Fifth Street, which will provide a tropical entrance to the resort, is nearly rebuilt and should get its first layer of pavement this week.

The Biloxi property is the first stand-alone Margaritaville Casino, and it’s built in the city where Buffett played his first professional gig. Brosig said about 24 investors are part of the project and 20 percent to 30 percent of them are local.

This is the ninth casino Brosig has opened. “I’m expecting big things for this property,” he said. Marketing started this week and the website goes live Friday.

Read the full story and view a photo gallery here.


Tagged in Business Empire, Casinos, Margaritaville Casinos

Buffett Gets His Nevada Gaming License

March 22nd, 2012


Jimmy Buffett made his case before the Nevada Gaming Control Board two weeks ago and today he was back in Las Vegas where the Nevada Gaming Commission unanimously approved his application:

Buffett and his company needed gaming licenses because of a trademark sublicense agreement with the Flamingo that allows Palm Beach, Fla.-based Margaritaville Holdings to share in gaming revenues from the Margaritaville casino, which opened in October. The company has also operated the Margaritaville restaurant at the Flamingo since 2003.

“When I wrote the song ‘Margaritaville,’ I never envisioned it would be a successful piece of intellectual property,” Buffett told the commission. “It’s a pretty good song. It worked out.”

Commission Chairman Peter Bernhard said Buffett had been investigated just as thoroughly, if not more so, than other gaming license applicants.

“If you make a song about this experience, I hope it’s a positive one,” Gaming Commission member Tony Alamo said with a laugh.


Tagged in Business Empire, Casinos

4,000 Job Seekers Vie for 1,000 Openings at Margaritaville Biloxi

March 13th, 2012


The Margaritaville Biloxi held its second job fair yesterday, bringing the two-day total of job seekers to 4,000. The casino, scheduled to open the week of May 20, is looking to fill about 1,000 positions.

News 5 has a video report:

Couldn’t make one of the job fairs? You can apply for several positions online here.


Tagged in Business Empire, Casinos

Margaritaville No Longer Planned for Calgary

March 9th, 2012


Sorry Calgary… a Margaritaville Cafe is no longer planned for the Calgary Stampede development in Calgary, AB Canada. First announced in 2009, the deal was revealed to be in jeopardy a year ago.

Connell confirmed the Jimmy Buffett-inspired Margaritaville restaurant/entertainment centre is no longer planned as an anchor tenant in the mainstreet development. A separate venture, to be announced at a later date, has taken over that role and location.

The website is still live but has never contained any content: www.margaritavillecalgary.ca

The Niagara Falls location remains the only Margaritaville in Canada.


Tagged in Business Empire, International, Margaritaville Cafes

Buffett Answers Questions at Nevada Gaming License Hearing

March 7th, 2012


Jimmy Buffett was in Las Vegas Wednesday morning to appear before the Nevada Gaming Control Board. At stake was licensing to share revenue with Caesars Entertainment for his newly opened Margaritaville Casino at the Flamingo.

It was an interesting event as Buffett told stories of his Margaritaville brand and answered questions about two drug-related incidents in his past: the Jamaica Mistaica incident and the time French authorities detained him, mistakenly believing he had ecstasy.

Buffett’s business partners and managers also answered questions. Long-time Coral Reefer Michael Utley was questioned as well.

The Las Vegas Review Journal and Vegasinc.com both have good articles on the hearing.

The state Gaming Control Board questioned Buffett for about 15 minutes and approved its recommendation in less than an hour. The matter will be considered for final approval by the Nevada Gaming Commission on March 22.

During the hearing, at which Buffett and his associates told several stories about his successes with the Margaritaville brand. He said he became interested in the restaurant business when his friend, superstar chef Emeril Lagasse, told him that his best nights at his MGM Grand restaurant occurred when Buffett was performing at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

Buffett said he approached MGM about opening a restaurant, but the company went with an Irish pub concept instead. That led Buffett to inquire with Harrah‚s Entertainment, now Caesars Entertainment, and the Margaritaville restaurant was born.

“I occasionally wonder about the guy (at MGM) who made that decision and where he‚s working now,” Buffett said.

The Margaritaville restaurant opened at the Flamingo in 2003 and the casino was added in 2011.

Vegasinc also has a photo gallery with several photos from the hearing.


Tagged in Business Empire, Casinos