What's next for Bahama Breeze? Owners say big change is coming.
A little over a month after 15 locations were abruptly closed, owners of the Caribbean-inspired chain signal the brand could soon come to an end.
Owners of the Bahama Breeze restaurant chain signaled this week that the brand is no longer a priority, and they are considering selling the Caribbean-inspired chain a little over a month after shuttering over a dozen locations.
Darden Restaurants CEO Ricardo Cardenas said in an earnings call on Friday, June 20 that they "will be considering strategic alternatives" for Bahama Breeze, such as selling the brand to a new owner or "converting restaurants to other Darden brands."
The company's portfolio incudes Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, Ruth's Chris Steak House and Yard House, among others.
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"After further review, we have made the difficult decision that these remaining locations and the Bahama Breeze brand are not a strategic priority for us," Cardenas said in the call.
The company abruptly closed down 15 restaurant locations in mid-May, leaving what they call their 28 "highest performing" restaurants currently in operation. The company has not issued a projected timeline of either a sale or restaurant conversions and has not disclosed if there is an interested buyer.
Cardenas said the company does not expect a potential sale to have a "material impact" on their financial results.
The restaurants first opened in the 90's in Florida, where half of their remaining locations remain. Georgia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Virginia all have two locations, according to the chain's website, while the states of Delaware, Michigan, New Jersey, South Carolina and Washington have one location.
Which Bahama Breeze locations have closed?
The following restaurants have closed, as confirmed by a Darden Restaurants spokesperson to Paste BN:
- 3989 Plaza Blvd, Gainesville, Florida 32608
- 2088 9th St N, Naples, Florida 34102
- 1786 W International Speedway Blvd, Daytona Beach, Florida 32114
- 2750 Sawgrass Mills Cir, Sunrise, Florida 33323
- 3339 N Federal Hwy, Oakland Park, Florida 33306
- 406 E Golf Rd, Schaumburg, Illinois 60173
- 413 Middlesex Rd, Tyngsborough, Massachusetts 01879
- 539 E Big Beaver Rd, Troy, Michigan 48083
- 375 Hughes Center Dr, Las Vegas, Nevada 89169
- 520 Woodbridge Center Dr, Woodbridge, New Jersey 07095
- 1201 Hooper Ave, Toms River, New Jersey 08753
- 101 NJ-23, Wayne, New Jersey 07470
- 1600 Bergen Town Center, Paramus, New Jersey 07652
- 612 Smith Haven Mall, Lake Grove, New York 11755
- 2830 N Germantown Pkwy, Memphis, Tennessee 38133
Contributing: Fernando Cervantes Jr., Paste BN.
Kathryn Palmer is a national trending news reporter for Paste BN. You can reach her at kapalmer@usatoday.com and on X @KathrynPlmr.