The Villages management was caught off guard by the sudden closure of Margarita Republic at Spanish Springs Town Square.
Employees and customers were also surprised when they saw a pink sign in the window Monday morning announcing the legendary nightspot had poured its last drink.
Matt Hoopfer of Commercial Property Management met Tuesday afternoon with Lady Lake Town Manager Bill Lawrence and Police Chief Steve Hunt. Hoopfer filled the town leaders in on the sudden closure of Margarita Republic.
“Margarita Republic was served notice that their lease would expire at the end of this year,” Lawrence said.
He said Hooefer told him The Villages “was surprised” to find Margarita Republic “had already moved out.”
Margarita Republic had been a driving force in the town leaders’ discussion about cutting back the legal liquor-pouring hours in an effort to end rowdy late-night behavior at Margarita Republic. While other liquor establishments would also have been impacted, commissioners agreed Margarita Republic was the chief source of concern. Representatives of Applebee’s and Miller’s Ale House convinced commissioners to give up the idea of changing liquor hours, citing their potential loss of revenue.
The Villages Vice President of Commercial Property Scott Renick suggested to The Villages Daily Sun that a better tenant could be found for the prime location which had been occupied for many years by Margarita Republic at The Villages’ original town square.
“We think the center would best benefit from a different type of operation there,” Renick said in an interview with the newspaper.
