Jimmy Buffett made a surprise visit to his Margaritaville Biloxi Casino on Friday:

Buffett made a quick walk through the property with Margaritaville managers and Mayor AJ Holloway to share his ideas for the hotel that’s in the works. Architects are working on those plans right now. And while there’s no timetable for construction, leaders hope to be breaking ground by the end of the year.

Buffett also stopped to visit with employees and say thanks for all the hard work they do to keep the 24/7 operation running smoothly.

“I had to do a double-take to believe it, but sure enough I was standing in front of Jimmy Buffett,” said employee Emma Roberts. “He was so nice and appreciative of what we do.”

Roberts, a native of Puerto Rico, said she was also pleasantly surprised to learn the songwriter “speaks perfect Spanish.”

Buffett also surprised a few customers before leaving on his seaplane.

The Margaritaville Biloxi opened a year and a half ago, and this week it was revealed that a hotel tower is planned for the development:

A workshop to discuss a connector road for Bayview Avenue brought news of two casino developments on the Point in Biloxi.

Margaritaville Casino is planning a $50 million to $60 million development to build a hotel tower, according to managing director John Cary.

Chris Ferrara of Biloxi Boardwalk, who owns the Heinz plant adjacent to Margaritaville, said he plans to spend $200 million for a casino, hotel, convention center and RV park in east Biloxi.

Jimmy Buffett is performing tonight at his new casino hotel in Bossier City, Louisiana to celebrate the opening of the $197 million project.

Paradise Theater doors open at 4pm CT and the show starts at 5pm CT. You can listen live on Radio Margaritaville.

The Margaritaville casino is all on one level, spread across 30,000 square feet, and features around 1,300 slot machines and 54 table games. 400 rooms occupy the remaining space, along with three restaurants and the Paradise Theater, which seats 900.

It’s the sixth casino in the Shreveport-Bossier area and the first new facility in more than a decade.

Visit margaritavillebossiercity.com for more information on the hotel and casino.

Resorts Hotel & Casino, where Margaritaville just opened in Atlantic City, is hosting a free concert on the beach this Saturday. The event lists Andy Grammar, Mac McAnally, and Wilson Phillips as performers, plus a “special guest.”

Many are speculating that the special guest will be Jimmy Buffett. It does make sense as Buffett typically performs at his new properties shortly after they open.

The event is free and begins at 1pm.

(hat tip Lorelei’s Dad)

Jimmy Buffett will perform at the Paradise Theater on Wednesday, July 3rd to celebrate the grand opening of Margaritaville Resort Casino in Bossier City, LA (near Shreveport).

“We are so happy to finally be able to announce our Jimmy Buffett performance,” said Barry Regula, General Manager and Senior Vice President of Margaritaville Resort Casino. “It’s been a hard one to keep under wraps!”

Tickets go on sale Friday, June 7 at 10am via Ticketmaster, with a select number of tickets available to the general public. Paradise Theater doors open at 4pm on July 3 and the show starts at 5pm.

Tickets to the performance start at around $200.

Buffet was last seen in Bossier City in February 2012, for the groundbreaking of the casino. Buffett who owns the property, along with two other Margaritaville-themed casinos in Las Vegas, Nevada and another is in Biloxi, Mississippi. The Bossier City casino will be the largest of the three.

The casino is all on one level, spread across 30,000 square feet. There will be around 1,300 slot machines and 54 table games once it is open. There will be a 400-room hotel and three restaurants. The Paradise Theater seats 900.

Construction is nearly complete on the $197 million casino and hotel resort. A mid-June opening is expected.

It’s the sixth casino in the Shreveport-Bossier area and the first new facility in more than a decade.

Get more information about the Margaritaville Casino Resort at here.