FOOD NEWS
Was Jimmy Buffett The Owner Of Margaritaville And Cheeseburger In Paradise?
By JENNIFER MASHUGA
The late Jimmy Buffett had an unusual impact on the hospitality industry because two of his songs became the names of restaurants: Margaritaville and Cheeseburger in Paradise.
While he was linked to both through his music, he was also the owner of both at one point. Buffett established his first Margaritaville retail store in Key West in 1985.
He opened the Café in 1987, but it wasn’t until he launched the famous Margaritaville restaurant at Orlando’s Universal CityWalk in 1999 that the empire took off.
Cheeseburger in Paradise launched in 2002 in Indianapolis, Indiana. In 2012, Buffett and Margaritaville Holdings, LLC sold the chain’s 23 locations for $11 million.
Today, the Margaritaville empire consists of restaurants, resorts, a casino, and food. Buffett’s ownership was worth $180 million, and the tropical-themed empire is still growing.