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How a new Margaritaville transformed foodservice at a Louisiana campground in mere months

GM Amanda Skelly oversaw the conversion of Cajun Palms into the popular eatertainment complex, complete with four themed food and beverage venues.

Patricia Cobe, Senior Editor

August 24, 2023

Amanda Stelly, general manager of Camp Margaritaville Breaux Bridge, remained unruffled when tasked with supervising the overhaul of food and beverage operations.

She has deep experience as a restaurant manager, and even though the revamp had to be done in just a few months, she put one foot in front of the other and got it done.

The Jimmy Buffet-branded Margaritaville venues were all in top operating order by the time the busy summer season started this year. These include the 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar & Grill, License to Chill, Feeding Frenzy and Lah de Dah Bar—all reporting robust sales.  

Amanda Stelly
Amanda Stelly

Listen as Stelly describes the new food and drink concepts and their impact on sales, how she managed to quickly train staff in Margaritaville style before the summer rush and what’s in store as Phase 2 gets underway later this year.

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About the Author

Patricia Cobe

Senior Editor

Pat plans and executes the menu sections of Restaurant Business and FoodService Director, covering food and beverage trends, Menu R&D, profiles of chefs and restaurateurs and Technomic research. She also contributes to the digital content of both RB and FSD and is editor of two weekly e-newsletters, Recipe Report and On the Menu. Pat’s weekly podcast, MenuFeed, covers a wide range of menu topics through interviews with chefs and operators.

Pat came to Winsight from Hearst, where she was an executive editor. She is the co-author of the Mompreneurs series of books as well as two cookbooks. She graduated from Cornell University and earned a Masters in Journalism from Boston University. She is active in several professional organizations, including Les Dames d’Escoffier and the International Foodservice Editorial Council (IFEC), and serves as a judge for the James Beard Media Awards.

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