After months of anticipation and countless rumors, the fate of a beloved restaurant chain has been sealed… every location is closing its doors for good. The end of an era, served with a side of heartbreak.
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Darden Restaurants, Inc., the parent company of Bahama Breeze, announced it will close all remaining locations of the restaurant chain. Some of these sites will be converted into other Darden brands.
As of this month, Bahama Breeze has 28 locations remaining. According to a press release, half of these restaurants will close permanently, while the other 14 will be converted into another Darden brand. The company has not yet announced which brands will take over these locations.
The company owns a variety of restaurant brands, including Olive Garden, Yard House, LongHorn Steakhouse, Ruth’s Chris Steak House, Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen, The Capital Grille, Chuy’s, Eddie V’s, and Seasons 52.
You’ve got until April 5 to grab a bite at the restaurants closing permanently. As for the remaining 14 locations, they’ll keep serving up meals until it’s time for their makeover.
“The company believes the conversion locations are great sites that will benefit several of the brands in its portfolio. Going forward, the primary focus will continue to be on supporting team members, including placing as many as possible in roles within the Darden portfolio,” the press release explained.
A List of Which Locations Plan to Permanently Close and Which Ones Will Be Converted…
The following Bahama Breeze locations will close permanently: 500 Center Blvd. in Newark, DE; 3590 Breckenridge Blvd. in Duluth, GA; 12395 SW 88th St. in Miami, FL; 10205 Rivercoast Drive in Jacksonville, FL; 1251 West Osceola Pkwy. in Kissimmee, FL; 11000 Pines Blvd. in Pembroke Pines, FL; 1540 Rinehart Road in Sanford, FL; 19600 Haggerty Road in Livonia, MI; 2000 Route 38 in Cherry Hill, NJ; 3309 Wake Forest Drive in Raleigh, NC; 320 Goddard Blvd. in King of Prussia, PA; 6100 Robinson Center Drive in Pittsburgh, PA; 2714 Potomac Mills Circle in Woodbridge, VA; and 15700 Southcenter Pkwy. in Tukwila, WA.
The company also released a list of restaurants set to be converted into a different, unnamed Darden brand. These locations include: 499 E Altamonte Drive in Altamonte Springs, FL; 805 Brandon Town Center Drive in Brandon, FL; 14701 S Tamiami Trail in Ft. Myers, FL; 8160 Irlo Bronson Memorial Hwy. in Kissimmee, FL; 25830 Sierra Center Blvd. in Lutz, FL; several in Orlando, FL, at 5620 W. Oak Ridge Road, 8849 International Drive, 8735 Vineland Ave., and 1200 N Alafaya Drive; 3045 N Rocky Point Drive East in Tampa, FL; 755 Earnest W Barrett Pkwy NW in Kennesaw, GA; 570 Cross Creek Mall in Fayetteville, NC; 7811 Rivers Ave. in Charleston, SC; and 4554 Virginia Beach Blvd. in Virginia Beach, VA.
In May 2025, Darden Restaurants closed 15 Bahama Breeze locations. The following month, President and CEO Rick Cardenas announced that Bahama Breeze was no longer a strategic priority for the company.
“Consequently, we will be considering strategic alternatives for Bahama Breeze, including a potential sale of the brand or converting restaurants to other Darden brands,” Cardenas explained then.