Key West Store is Gone!

[parrotheadla]

The store at Key West appears to be no more:(

UPDATE: Apparently they have closed all of the on-line stores and have consolidated them to the Lifestyle on-line store only. Most if not all of the physical stores should remain open. Key West physical store is open; New Orleans appears to be closed.

[dnw]

What!!!

[dnw]

Coconut Telegraphs are gone too according to the website.

[capnbobby]

This is sad! I went to that store every time I went to Key West.

Cap'n Bobby

[SMLCHNG]

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=92357
Sold a while back.

[jayparrot46]

that sad news

[Tiki Torches]

Negative thread is negative.

[RinglingRingling]

hoped they would keep at least one, but this has been coming since Jimmy got affiliated with the Casinos and M'ville became just another cheesy version of Planet Hollywood/All-Star Cafe/Dick Clark's. looks like I am going to have to save my Air M'ville cap for very special occasions now.

[capnbobby]

I went back and reread the article on the International Meal Company purchasing Margaritaville restaurants. Here are a few thoughts that probably won't amount to much. International Meal Company (IMC) has purchased most of the Margaritaville restaurants. Clear exceptions are Margaritaville Orlando, of which JB still owns 50%, and Margaritaville Las Vegas, of which JB still owns 50%. Those two restaurants must be gold mines, so JB is retaining 1/2 of their economic product.

It's hard not to be cynical about this. Clearly, it's about the money, and one of the questions it raises is: Do I want to eat at a Margaritaville that Jimmy Buffett doesn't own?

The stores seem to be getting shut down. Key West seems to be closed. If you go to the Key West store link on Margaritaville.com, a message says thanks, it's been a lovely cruise. If you click on the Margaritaville lifestyle link on Margaritaville.com, you will notice that many of the men's T-shirt items are only available in certain sizes. I suspect that Margaritaville lifestyle will soon be a thing of the past.

The direction that the clothing line seems to be going is Margaritaville Apparel, which can be accessed on Margaritaville.com under the shopping link. Margaritaville apparel can be bought online, and it is also being distributed through stores such as Bass Pro Shop and beach stores. The idea seems to be to shut down the stores and to sell Margaritaville Apparel through other stores, letting someone else pay the overhead. Again, it seems to be all about the money. The goal appears to be to create a brand like Salt Life that will be distributed to a wider audience through various stores and chains. While the business model is brilliant, I fear that the days are gone of T-shirts that quote obscure JB songs like "We Are the People" and "Growing Older But Not Up." If you look at the T-shirts for Margaritaville Apparel, the references to JB songs are much more mild, and a number of the shirts don't even quote Buffett songs at all. Some of them simply say, "Aloha." What's my point? The goal of the new Margaritaville Apparel line seems to be to build a brand that will compete with other brands like Salt Life.

While all of this might be good business decisions worthy of The Shark Tank, I miss the days when the cheesy T-shirts quoted songs I love. I always came back from Key West with a T-shirt from my favorite store. I'm going to miss that store. Then again, I miss the days when the music was about the music.

Have a good weekend!
Cap'n Bobby

[RinglingRingling]

I went back and reread the article on the International Meal Company purchasing Margaritaville restaurants. Here are a few thoughts that probably won't amount to much. International Meal Company (IMC) has purchased most of the Margaritaville restaurants. Clear exceptions are Margaritaville Orlando, of which JB still owns 50%, and Margaritaville Las Vegas, of which JB still owns 50%. Those two restaurants must be gold mines, so JB is retaining 1/2 of their economic product.

It's hard not to be cynical about this. Clearly, it's about the money, and one of the questions it raises is: Do I want to eat at a Margaritaville that Jimmy Buffett doesn't own?

The stores seem to be getting shut down. Key West seems to be closed. If you go to the Key West store link on Margaritaville.com, a message says thanks, it's been a lovely cruise. If you click on the Margaritaville lifestyle link on Margaritaville.com, you will notice that many of the men's T-shirt items are only available in certain sizes. I suspect that Margaritaville lifestyle will soon be a thing of the past.

The direction that the clothing line seems to be going is Margaritaville Apparel, which can be accessed on Margaritaville.com under the shopping link. Margaritaville apparel can be bought online, and it is also being distributed through stores such as Bass Pro Shop and beach stores. The idea seems to be to shut down the stores and to sell Margaritaville Apparel through other stores, letting someone else pay the overhead. Again, it seems to be all about the money. The goal appears to be to create a brand like Salt Life that will be distributed to a wider audience through various stores and chains. While the business model is brilliant, I fear that the days are gone of T-shirts that quote obscure JB songs like "We Are the People" and "Growing Older But Not Up." If you look at the T-shirts for Margaritaville Apparel, the references to JB songs are much more mild, and a number of the shirts don't even quote Buffett songs at all. Some of them simply say, "Aloha." What's my point? The goal of the new Margaritaville Apparel line seems to be to build a brand that will compete with other brands like Salt Life.

While all of this might be good business decisions worthy of The Shark Tank, I miss the days when the cheesy T-shirts quoted songs I love. I always came back from Key West with a T-shirt from my favorite store. I'm going to miss that store. Then again, I miss the days when the music was about the music.

Have a good weekend!
Cap'n Bobby

I hear you on all of it. now I need to save out a tshirt as well for the last party. I really miss what could be called the nonhomogenized days. I got here a tad late, and some days, it feels like 2005 was just after hitting the iceburg. The people I've met in the last 10 years are some of the best, and I am glad to have met them, but as time goes by, Jimmy is just white noise for a couple days here or there to meet friends and get caught up.

[Tiki Torches]

The direction that the clothing line seems to be going is Margaritaville Apparel, which can be accessed on Margaritaville.com under the shopping link. Margaritaville apparel can be bought online, and it is also being distributed through stores such as Bass Pro Shop and beach stores.

Thanks for the info, the Margaritaville Apparel catalog I received not long ago makes much more sense now. Shame that this appears to be taking the place of the Coconut Telegraph.

[capnbobby]

The direction that the clothing line seems to be going is Margaritaville Apparel, which can be accessed on Margaritaville.com under the shopping link. Margaritaville apparel can be bought online, and it is also being distributed through stores such as Bass Pro Shop and beach stores.

Thanks for the info, the Margaritaville Apparel catalog I received not long ago makes much more sense now. Shame that this appears to be taking the place of the Coconut Telegraph.

You're welcome.

Cap'n Bobby

[Martyritaville]

Majorly bummed by this.

Like you, Todd, we also came late to the dance but man, did we blow a lotta bucks in that store, both in person and thru the Internet. The folks there were always so nice.

*sigh* BIBOMO, I guess...

Thanx for the updates, guys.

[LIPH]

For what it's worth, the Myrtle Beach store is still open. By no stretch of the imagination am I a regular customer, but I was at Broadway at the Beach earlier today so after seeing this thread I walked by Margaritaville just to see if the store was open.

[Nighthawk]

Once again.... maybe this tour really is telling us that for everything... This one's for you.....

[surfpirate]

I still remember wandering into the Duval Street Cafe location
in 1989 and the staff was super excited that the store
was just opening right next door.
Jimmy was even there that day, just sitting at
one of the tables near the stage with his briefcase
and having a casual business lunch undisturbed
with a couple of people.

No crowds. No bodyguards. Just having lunch
in his own Cafe. Obviously this was well before
the expansion to dozens of other locations
(and Casinos and Hotels and ....)

Just this one little Cafe and the "new" store location next door.

Times have changed.

[capnbobby]

The staff at the store was helpful and kind, and I am grateful to them for a couple of things.

Cap'n Bobby

[RainTree]

Now I'm really p***. Going on my first trip to Key West in a few weeks. A friend gave me a gift certificate for them and I was so looking forward to buying something that had "Margaritaville Key West" on it. And now I don't even feel like buying any overpriced food or drink!

[browneyedgrltx]

Once again.... maybe this tour really is telling us that for everything... This one's for you.....

On a JB forum with FFDP lyrics in your signature! I thought I was the only one that was all over the map on music tastes!

[Tiki Torches]

Once again.... maybe this tour really is telling us that for everything... This one's for you.....

On a JB forum with FFDP lyrics in your signature! I thought I was the only one that was all over the map on music tastes!

Check the iPod Shuffle thread sometime, though the ones that have some of the same artists show up in nearly every post are suspect. It's more fun if you post what actually comes up when you hit shuffle.