Another day, another chain restaurant serving up a side of financial woes in today’s economy.
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The Caribbean-inspired dining chain Bahama Breeze unexpectedly shuttered 15 locations this week, according to The New York Post. This accounts for over one-third of its total restaurants.
The locations that have been closed include Lake Grove, New York; Paramus, New Jersey; Toms River, New Jersey; Wayne, New Jersey; Woodbridge, New Jersey; Daytona Beach, Florida; Gainesville, Florida; Naples, Florida; Oakland Park, Florida; Sunrise, Florida; Schaumburg, Illinois; Tyngsboro, Massachusetts; Troy, Michigan; Memphis, Tennessee; and Las Vegas.
Bahama Breeze is part of the Darden restaurant group, which also owns well-known brands like Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, Yard House, Ruth’s Chris Steak House, The Capital Grille, and Eddie V’s.
“We believe this is the right decision because it will allow Bahama Breeze to focus on its highest performing restaurants and strengthen the brand’s overall performance,” Darden Restaurants explained to the outlet in a statement.
The company is making efforts to rehire as many affected employees as possible at nearby Darden-owned restaurants, according to the spokesperson. All remaining staff members will receive severance pay, she confirmed.
After experiencing a 7.7% sales decline last year, Bahama Breeze now operates just 29 restaurants nationwide.
Rising Restaurant Prices Driven by Inflation Continue, Pushing Customers to Stay Home
Darden reported $3.2 billion in sales for the third quarter of fiscal year 2025, per CBS News. This comes after reports last fall revealed declining sales at Olive Garden, as customers grappled with rising restaurant prices driven by inflation.
Established in 1996, Bahama Breeze began as a small, Caribbean-inspired restaurant chain with its first location in Orlando, Florida. Over the years, it expanded to other states and, by 2014, operated around 43 locations nationwide.
The recent closure of a location in Tyngsboro, Massachusetts, resulted in 73 employees losing their jobs, while the shutdown of four restaurants in New Jersey left 327 workers unemployed.