The Margaritaville on Grand Turk in the Turks & Caicos, which opened in 2006, only suffered minimal damage from Hurricane Ike, according to the Caribbean Net News:

According to a Carnival press release, an engineering survey confirmed that no damage was sustained to the cruise ship pier, which can accommodate up to two ships at one time, while minimal damage occurred to the facility’s retail and restaurant complex.

“We believe we can complete repairs to the cruise centre within a 30-day period and bring cruise ships back to Grand Turk,” said Giora Israel, Carnival’s vice president of strategic planning and port development. “We will be able to provide many of the wonderful, beach, snorkeling and water sports experiences that Grand Turk is famous for, along with the oversized pool and food and shopping opportunities at the cruise center, including the extremely popular Margaritaville restaurant.”

Jed Gottlieb of the Boston Herald has an article on Jimmy Buffett’s business empire: “Frozen assets: Margaritaville magnate Jimmy Buffett turns boozy tunes into retail gold”

rom the Bradford Exchange shilling Elvis plates to Ben & Jerry’s dreaming up Cherry Garcia and Phish Food, hucksters have long cashed in on the devotion of rock fans. But Jimmy Buffett devotees possess a unique appetite for, well, anything Margaritaville.

No one knows this as well as Buffett. This guy has a talent for turning his tunes into tacky knickknacks, mass-marketed munchies and a financial empire. With his annual tour bringing him to the Comcast Center in Mansfield Thursday (scattered tickets remain) and Saturday (sold out), Buffett continues to generate megabucks.

But it wasn’t until we dug into “Margaritaville” that we realized how deep his genius runs. Buffett’s signature song has spun off more products than it has lyrics. Just 206 words long, there’s not an unexploited verse. And yet, there are so many untapped lines.

Read the entire article here.

Jimmy Buffett’s latest Margaritaville cafe is scheduled to open next month at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut. Business Wire reports:

The saying, “The third time’s the charm,” couldn’t ring more true when it comes to Mohegan Sun’s third major expansion, Project Horizon. On August 29th, one of the largest gaming facilities in the world will get a little bigger as it opens the first portion of its $925 million expansion, the 64,000 square-foot Casino of the Wind, which will offer a 42-table poker room, more than 650 slot machines, 28 table games, Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville, and Chief’s Deli – a quick-service restaurant.

“We are very excited to reveal Casino of the Wind to the world,” said Mitchell Etess, President and CEO of Mohegan Sun. “The Rockwell Group, who have been our architects since the beginning in 1996, have outdone themselves. This may be their best work yet.”

The new facility, which broke ground in June 2007, makes its much-anticipated debut on Friday, August 29th at 10:00am immediately following a Tribal blessing and ribbon cutting ceremony. Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville is slated to open in September 29th.

Read the entire article here, and learn more about Buffett’s business empire here.

On July 23rd, The Sun Herald reported that work was slowing down on the Margaritaville Casino project in Biloxi, Mississippi. Now, Harrah’s says that the scope and size of the project is shrinking considerably:

The original $700 million estimated cost of the casino resort on the beach in Biloxi is being revised “down, down,” Harrah’s officials said during a conference call Friday.

About $110 million has been invested in Margaritaville as of June 30, and the company anticipates another $40 million to $45 million will be spent through the remainder of the year.

Harrah’s President Gary Loveman said they slowed construction of Margaritaville casino for a couple of reasons. “First, because business conditions in that market are very trying and new capacity is not exactly what that market needs in the short term.”

Loveland said Harrah’s also intends to refine the scope and the cost estimates for Margaritaville Casino “as carefully as possible to make sure that we build exactly what it is we think is prudent in that market. So we have slowed down the pace to regather ourselves” he said, to ensure Margaritaville “is appropriately sized and configured for the marketplace.”

Read the entire article here

Last week it was announced that Jimmy Buffett has bought the Trump Marina Hotel Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The Patriot News reports that the casino won’t open as Margaritaville until at least next summer:

The sale of the Marina is expected to take six to nine months and will require approval by the New Jersey Casino Control Commission.

That means Parrotheads, the devoted fans of Buffett and the laid-back beach lifestyle made famous by “Margaritaville,” won’t see the new property until at least next summer.

Read the entire article here.