Margaritaville Casino in Biloxi just sold. Dick’s Last Resort is part of the new plan.
After sitting empty on the waterfront for nine years, Margaritaville Resort Biloxi has a new owner with big plans to bring fun to the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
The sale closed Thursday afternoon, said Monte Luffey, a principal at Southeast Commercial Realty, the company that represented the property owner in the sale.
Luffey didn’t disclose the sale price, but the building and property on the Biloxi Back Bay had been listed for $15.9 million.
The buyer is MIC, a company owned by Harry Mohney, who operates Dick’s Last Resort restaurants and Cat’s Meow karaoke bars in New Orleans, The Wharf at Orange Beach, at Las Vegas, Nashville, the Smoky Mountains and many of the top resort areas in the country.
Attorney Britt Singletary represented Mohney and said he plans a multi-venue attraction, with two restaurants, bars and entertainment such as karaoke and ax throwing. A casino isn’t in the plans, but a boxing ring remains from the casino days and Singletary said fights will return to Biloxi along with other events.
Dick’s Last Resort and Cat’s Meow are both expected to be part of the entertainment and dining plan at the site.
Dick’s Last Resort is known for its irreverent entertainment, where the food is good, the waiters are rude and the customers laugh at themselves while wearing a dunce cap. The menu features favorites like wings, burgers, seafood, ribs and chicken.
“All in fun. Fun for all,” is one of the taglines for Dick’s Last Resort and the 68,000 square foot building in Biloxi has plenty of room for such fun along with a waterfront patio.
Margaritaville Casino opened in May 2012 with a concert by Jimmy Buffett and closed two years later in September 2014. Its location on Fifth Street, several blocks off Beach Boulevard, made it a challenge to find and sell.
In 2019, a developer proposed to expand the property into Biloxi House Casino.
The property then caught the eye of Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons, frontmen for the rock band KISS. They planned to add a hotel and open a $200 million Rock & Brews casino resort.
A ceremonial groundbreaking for the casino was planned March 15, 2020, when KISS was scheduled to perform at the Coast Coliseum in Biloxi, but both events were canceled during the Coronavirus shutdown.
This story was originally published August 10, 2023 at 3:53 PM.
