[2] On January 3, 1985, Buffett opened his first Margaritaville retail store at Lands End Village in Key West, Florida.

Initially a souvenir store featuring Buffett-themed merchandise, Margaritaville was co-owned by Buffett and local businessperson Sunshine Smith.

[5] In 2002, he expanded his business ventures by partnering with Outback Steakhouse to develop the first Cheeseburger in Paradise restaurant in Southport, Indiana.

In late 2006, Buffett announced on the website that the Margaritaville cafes would no longer purchase or serve Canadian seafood products to protest Canada's treatment of seals.

[8] On January 12, 2011, following the announcement of the new partnership between MVB Holdings and the Brosig, Sekul, and Sims families, for the differently planned Biloxi, Mississippi, casino, John Payne, Caesars Entertainment Corp. central division president, stated, "We are disappointed that our project with Margaritaville will not proceed.

The newest concept, a "Landshark Surfshack Retail Shop", opened May 17, 2011, at the Myrtle Beach SkyWheel attraction.

[10][11][12][13] In St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, and Rio Grande, Puerto Rico, are vacation clubs operated by Margaritaville.

The former site of a Holiday Inn, destroyed by Hurricane Ivan on September 16, 2004,[15] Margaritaville Hotel is on over 800 feet of gulf-front property.

[16] Future phased plans include an adjacent free-standing Margaritaville Cafe restaurant and a bayside waterpark.

Plans now call for the resort, which includes 264 hotel rooms, three restaurants, and a rooftop pool, to be built and opened to guests in 2026.

[32][33] The project is a joint venture between Minto Communities and Buffett's Margaritaville Holdings, with the development being built on land close to LPGA Boulevard and about a mile to the west from Interstate-95.

Amenities will include a resort-style pool, fitness center, social hall, game and hobby rooms, arts and learning programs, indoor and outdoor dining with signature Margaritaville food and beverage concepts, tennis and pickleball courts, and a 290,000-square-foot Margaritaville retail center.

[34][35][36] Margaritaville is featured in the 2015 film Jurassic World as one of the restaurants in the fictional theme park, with Buffett himself making a cameo appearance as one of the guests running away from the Pteranodon attack, carrying a pair of margaritas.

[37] In 2023, YouTube content creators Eddy Burback and Ted Nivison took a road trip to visit and eat at every single Margaritaville in the United States and Canada, chronicling their journeys in two separate videos, similar to their adventure the previous year visiting every Rainforest Cafe in North America.