After months of speculation, Bahama Breeze customers now know the restaurant chain’s fate.
Darden Restaurants, Inc., the parent company of the chain, has announced that it will be closing all remaining Bahama Breeze restaurants. Some of the locations will then be converted into another Darden brand.
Bahama Breeze, a Caribbean-inspired casual dining chain, was founded in 1996, making it 30 years old.
Below, we’re breaking down everything the company has shared so far.
Bahama Breeze is closing its remaining 28 locations
As of February 2026, Bahama Breeze currently has 28 remaining restaurants.
Per a press release, 14 of these locations will be permanently closing and the remaining 14 locations will be converted into another Darden brand (see the full list below). The company opted not to announce which brands they will be converted into.
The company owns several 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.
When are the restaurants closing?
Customers can still visit the restaurants that will be permanently closing through April 5. The remaining 14 restaurants will be converted over the next 12 to 18 months. In the meantime, those 14 locations will operate until they need to close temporarily for conversion efforts.
“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 reads.
Which restaurants are being converted?
Darden provided the following list of the restaurants that will be closing permanently:
500 Center Blvd., Newark, DE
3590 Breckenridge Blvd., Duluth, GA
12395 SW 88th St., Miami, FL
10205 Rivercoast Drive, Jacksonville, FL
1251 West Osceola Pkwy., Kissimmee, FL
11000 Pines Blvd., Pembroke Pines, FL
1540 Rinehart Road, Sanford, FL
19600 Haggerty Road, Livonia, MI
2000 Route 38, Cherry Hill, NJ
3309 Wake Forest Drive, Raleigh, NC
320 Goddard Blvd., King of Prussia, PA
6100 Robinson Center Drive, Pittsburgh, PA
2714 Potomac Mills Circle, Woodbridge, VA
15700 Southcenter Pkwy., Tukwila, WA
The company also shared this list of the restaurants that will be converted into another, undisclosed Darden brand:
499 E Altamonte Drive, Altamonte Springs, FL
805 Brandon Town Center Drive, Brandon, FL
14701 S Tamiami Trail, Ft. Myers, FL
8160 Irlo Bronson Memorial Hwy., Kissimmee, FL
25830 Sierra Center Blvd., Lutz, FL
5620 W. Oak Ridge Road, Orlando, FL
8849 International Drive, Orlando, FL
8735 Vineland Ave., Orlando, FL
1200 N Alafaya Drive, Orlando, FL
3045 N Rocky Point Drive East, Tampa, FL
755 Earnest W Barrett Pkwy NW, Kennesaw, GA
570 Cross Creek Mall, Fayetteville, NC
7811 Rivers Ave., Charleston, SC
4554 Virginia Beach, Blvd., Virginia Beach, VA
Darden previously announced that Bahama Breeze was not a strategic priority
In May 2025, Darden Restaurants closed 15 Bahama Breeze locations. The following month, Darden Restaurants’ 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 said at the time.
Other restaurant chains have also been struggling
In an increasingly challenging economy, many restaurants have announced that they were shutting down various locations in recent months. On Feb. 4, Pizza Hut unveiled plans to close approximately 250 “underperforming” locations in the U.S.
In November 2025, Wendy’s announced plans to close roughly 300 restaurants. Jack in the Box also revealed it would be shutting down up to 200 underperforming locations in April 2025.
Hooters says it intends to stay open and resolve its troubles within four months. A group of the company’s original founders plans to buy and operate more of the restaurants.
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