DAYTONA BEACH — Drinking beer and margaritas before noon is not the norm for business leaders and elected officials, even at the World’s Most Famous Beach.
The several dozen who turned out to celebrate the groundbreaking Wednesday morning of two planned side-by-side oceanfront restaurants were happy to make an exception.
With complimentary bottles of Landshark Beer and cups of margaritas in hand, they toasted the occasion before scooping up dirt to signal the start of construction for a Jimmy Buffett-branded Landshark Bar & Grill and an adjacent, separately owned Tex-Mex eatery called Cocina 214 Restaurant & Bar.
The two restaurants are being built on the six-acre lot at 451 S. Atlantic Ave., just north of Sunsplash Park and the Volusia County lifeguard headquarters. Both are targeting a late January opening, in time for the Rolex 24 at Daytona at Daytona International Speedway.
Consolidated-Tomoka, which acquired the land in November, will own the land and buildings for the two-restaurant development. Albright in his comments Wednesday thanked the city and county allowing his company to obtain the necessary building permits in a timely fashion. “We want to get this going as soon as possible and open up here within seven months,” he said.