Executive Chat February 2018

What and where is Margaritaville? How do I get there fast? Margaritaville is a restaurant that reflects the lifestyle associated by millions of people. It is a Mecca for "Parrotheads" and everyone else out to enjoy a great meal while listening to great music in a laid-back, fun atmosphere. It's in the tropics somewhere between the Port of Indecision and Southwest of Disorder. You don't have to be a navigator to get there. Margaritaville is wherever you want it to be. You just come in and find your escape. What is the history of the Margaritaville brand? Margaritaville started as a T-shirt shop in Key West in 1985. People kept coming in and asking where the cheeseburgers were, and the first Margaritaville restaurant opened in 1987 on Duvall Street in Key West. Since then, the company has grown to its current state with IMCMV’s operations consisting of 15 Margaritaville restaurants, three Landshark Bar and Grills, and an Air Margaritaville spanning the country from Las Vegas to Key West to Minneapolis and all parts in between. Is Jimmy Buffett still involved? Jimmy and his partner John Cohlan own the brand, and both are extremely involved in expanding into other business segments: hotels, timeshares, apparel, and active adult lifestyles living. IMCMV has the exclusive rights to grow the Margaritaville restaurants and Landshark Bar and Grill in the USA. What are the future growth plans? We are planning to strategically grow both Margaritaville and LandShark. We just opened our new LandShark prototype on the ocean in Daytona Beach last Thursday with an enhanced atmosphere and menu. We are reviewing potential new locations. Stay tuned. What are you passionate about outside of work? My wife and two sons; both study at Miami University in Ohio. I believe it is very important to balance your work and personal time. My other passion is creating opportunities for my entire staff. We are creating a career opportunity, NOT just a job.

Need to recruit powerhouse executive talent for your team? Contact Rebecca Patt at Rebecca@wraysearch.com. I’m also open to suggestions for powerhouse individuals to feature in Executive Chat. Please email me their name and a short description. Thanks!