Monday, August 20, 2018, California, MD- Word spread quickly this afternoon that the California location( located in the Wildewood Shopping Center) of Jimmy Buffet’s ” Cheeseburger in Paradise” was locking it’s doors for the last time.
The California location has been a hotspot for Happy Hour, great company, food and appetizers; along with live music. A few notable names that play there are Stephen Nelson, Billy Yeager And Phillip Parsons; who got his start there.
Cheeseburger in Paradise is a casual dining restaurant chain in the United States. The first restaurant opened on August 19, 2002, in the Southport area of Indianapolis, Indiana. It is a theme restaurant named for the song “Cheeseburger in Paradise” by American pop music singer Jimmy Buffett. The chain was a partnership of Buffett’s company, the Orlando, Florida-based Margaritaville Holdings LLC, and OSI Restaurant Partners, with Buffett licensing the name and Outback Steakhouse operating the franchising of restaurants. It is currently a subsidiary of Luby’s.
In September 2009, Cheeseburger in Paradise was sold to Paradise Restaurant Group, LLC. Jimmy Buffett was only a Royalty Partner receiving 2% of profits until selling Paradise Restaurant Group the rights to the song “Cheeseburger in Paradise”. In December 2012, Luby’s purchased Paradise Restaurant Group for $11 million, thereby acquiring all of the restaurants and ending Jimmy Buffett’s association with the chain.
The Southern Maryland Chronicle has reached out to the parent company Luby’s Inc. for more information.