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I received an email from Margaritaville for "red tag" sale @ Charleston M'ville --all sales final. The store's site doesn't seem to have a lot of merchandise on it -- many categories come up empty.

Is it closing down?

It wouldn't surprise me if it did. I never saw much of a crowd any time I went in there. Plus, there is no restaurant attached to it. Frankly, I'm kinda surprised it lasted this long. The one in MB is probably taking a lot of it's business.

yes, they are closing on August 31st. and yes, I also believe that Myrtle Beach takes a lot of their business. having the restaurant attached is huge. There's always a long wait for a table which mean plenty of time to shop.

a shame.. I am gonna miss the lunch counter in the Charleston M'ville.

Well that just sucks! I am a Charleston native. My mom and sister usually get my birthday and Christmas gifts there. We shop on our visits home too. The staff was always nice.
No restaurant Is probably the reason and store is a whole in the wall. Alot of seafood competition downtown.

I guess I should start saving my shirts since they'll be collectors items?

Was down the store earlier today. Basically cleaned out except for a few ladies things.In a word, SAD.

I just went to find my SC Flag Emblem cap from Margaritaville Charleston and it's missing.

I know I'll find it! I think I just took it to SC with me.

Yeah Debbie. Nice folks down there. The store manger Gina is simply one of the nicest people you'll ever meet. You know this but many people don't. She came up from KW to open and run the store when the Charleston operation started.

Am going to miss the Charleston Margaritaville. Had a lot of fun there. The staff was really nice! Very sad it was closing. I agree the location at Myrtle Beach took a lot of their business. Still very sad

I remember going there after our 2nd concert in February 2005 at Columbia, SC.

Nice staff, cool store. I wish everyone there well.

Sad too, because this is the first time I remember a Margaritaville of any type closing. Hope it's not a trend, although I know that all things must pass.

Someday, I won't be able to offer Larry a LandShark beer??...

Martyritaville wrote:I remember going there after our 2nd concert in February 2005 at Columbia, SC.

Nice staff, cool store. I wish everyone there well.

Sad too, because this is the first time I remember a Margaritaville of any type closing. Hope it's not a trend, although I know that all things must pass.

Someday, I won't be able to offer Larry a LandShark beer??...

Another thing that was rather nostalgic about that Margaritaville was the materials used were salvaged from Hurricane Hugo.

We were there in 2003 before the Columbia, SC show.

I think the store has maybe just fallen victim to the economy. I've been to the Myrtle Beach store and restaurant. It's at Broadway at The Beach. The place is always buzzing with vacationers who are more apt to slide plastic on stuff they really don't need. And if you're waiting for your place in the restaurant the store is right there to roam around in and drop some bucks. I'm sure many people are spending money there who may not even be JB fans. It's just a frenzy in there. Charleston is a whole different deal. People do vacation downtown. But the store is still kinda something they probably accidentally wander by. So you can't count on bunches of people going in there and spending money on trinkets and t-shirts like they do at MB. Throw in possible increases in lease rates and other monthly bills and it's hard to survive. I was thinking Saturday of how quickly Jimmy's mega-empire has grown since the Charleston store opened in 1998. I think it was one of the 3 original stores in the USA. 1998 was really not that long ago.

palmettopirate wrote:I think the store has maybe just fallen victim to the economy. I've been to the Myrtle Beach store and restaurant. It's at Broadway at The Beach. The place is always buzzing with vacationers who are more apt to slide plastic on stuff they really don't need. And if you're waiting for your place in the restaurant the store is right there to roam around in and drop some bucks. I'm sure many people are spending money there who may not even be JB fans. It's just a frenzy in there. Charleston is a whole different deal. People do vacation downtown. But the store is still kinda something they probably accidentally wander by. So you can't count on bunches of people going in there and spending money on trinkets and t-shirts like they do at MB. Throw in possible increases in lease rates and other monthly bills and it's hard to survive. I was thinking Saturday of how quickly Jimmy's mega-empire has grown since the Charleston store opened in 1998. I think it was one of the 3 original stores in the USA. 1998 was really not that long ago.

The original J.B.'s Margaritaville Store was in Gulf Shores many moons ago.
At the time Jimmy wasn't 100% certain he retained full legal rights to the name Margaritaville
for a store or cafe. From the Tuscaloosa News June 19, 1984 ....



In 1985 he opened the first Florida Keys Margaritaville Store (I'm trying to remember the location).
In 1989 it moved to its current location on Duval Street.
A few months later the Cafe opened next door.

I'm not certain where the next Margaritaville (store or cafe) opened after that.

Great info. Thx.

From Vol 21 No. 1 Winter 2005

For nearly three years in Lands End Village customers entered the store looking for a restaurant, naturally assuming that Margaritaville was a place to get a margarita...and late in 1987 the Margaritaville Cafe joined the Margaritaville Store at 500 Duvall Street in Key West. ...Dec 87 opening.

Here's your documentation, SP

surfpirate wrote:I thought this might be of interest ... I dug out an old paper copy of a 1987 issue of the Coconut Telegraph, which had an article on the original Margaritaville Key West Store moving to it's *new* location on Duval Street .... and Jimmy's *exciting* news that he would soon be opening a Margaritaville Restaurant (not yet named a Cafe) right next door to the store! The menu would include Jimmy's grandmother's *secret potato salad* recipe.

I don't remember the original store at it's Land's End Village location, though I was in Key West apparently while it was located there. I do however remember going into the Duval Street Store several times before the restaurant opened. The photo of Jimmy and I in my signature was taken in 1989 outside of the Duval Street Store ... back in the days when Jimmy could still be spotted occasionally walking to and from an office up on the 2nd floor of the building where the Cafe/Store are located.

Cool info, everybody - thanx! Moe & I came very late to the dance, so I love hearing the real Tales of Margaritaville.