Key West Margaritaville Escapes Damage From Nearby Fire

A fire broke out Sunday evening on Duval Street in Key West, Florida but Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville Cafe escaped damage and reopened Monday afternoon:

Key West’s historic Duval Street reopened Monday morning after a fire swept through a building housing three well-known businesses and temporarily shut down other popular spots on the island city’s main street.

The fire, which started at about 10:30 p.m. Sunday and was contained by 1 a.m. Monday, wiped out a crepe shop, an art gallery and a sign shop. Two firefighters suffered minor injuries, city spokeswoman Alyson Crean said.

The fire department was working Monday to determine the cause of the blaze, Crean said.

Singer Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville restaurant and store was one of the businesses initially shut down, halting late-night festivities at the popular watering hole in mid-pour.

“I was hoping to go back in, finish off my shift and clean up, but they wouldn’t let us back in,” said waitress Patricija Hambrook. “It became bigger than we thought.

“We couldn’t close out checks, and the drinks we made were never served.”

Margaritaville’s restaurant reopened Monday afternoon, and its adjacent retail store reopened a few hours later, the fire department said.