- May 9, 2025
A new Mexican restaurant is opening soon in Ormond Beach, and in addition to traditional and elevated dishes, its owners are hoping to bring a new dining experience to town.
Margarita Island Mexican Kitchen and Bar is set to open in the next couple weeks at 24 Ocean Shore Blvd. in the Granada Plaza. The restaurant spans almost 8,000 square feet and has been remodeled in the local franchise's style — lush tropical themes, with a substantial bar area in the center.
This will be the fourth location, and the biggest yet, for Margarita Island, owned by David Gonzalez and his wife Elizabeth.
"This location has been a great opportunity for us," he said. "We're extremely happy to be here and excited."
The restaurant space Margarita Island is now occupying used to house a former TGI Fridays, which closed in 2024. The Gonzalezes previously lived in Ormond Beach for over a decade, and Gonzalez always had his eye on the location. It was his dream to own a restaurant one day, having started in the industry almost 20 years ago as a busser.
In 2021, the couple decided to make the dream a reality, and moved away for better opportunities, which led them to open the first Margarita Island restaurant in Merritt Island. Since then, they have opened locations in Flagler Beach as well as Rockledge.
"We waited three years for this location to be open — three long years, but I think it came at the right time," Gonzalez said.
The restaurant has been in the works since June 2024. Gonzalez said Margarita Island is not your "typical Mexican restaurant," with decorations inspired by traditional Mexican cowboys, known as charros. Gonzalez is originally from Nayarit, a coastal state in Mexico.
The restaurant's menu boasts a selection of authentic dishes, but they are not afraid to play with different flavors in their scratch kitchen, Gonzalez said. His favorite dish on the menu? The Island Piña Loca, a fajita style dish with steak, chicken and shrimp, onions, peppers and pineapple served on half a pineapple.
Margarita Island also serves vegan and vegetarian dishes.
And per its name, it also serves margaritas.
"Ormond Beach, and this community in particular, it's in need of a good bar — a good margarita bar, and so it's just the food, our margaritas are also really, really amazing," Gonzalez said.
It was not easy to acquire the storefront at the Granada Plaza. Gonzalez said there were a lot of bids being considered, but that they were chosen after the landlords visited one of their other locations.
When visiting a restaurant, customers are seeking an experience, Gonzalez said.
"So this is what Margarita Island is going to be doing for Ormond Beach," he said.
