Beloved Restaurant Chain Suddenly Disappears From 8 States
Back in the late 1990s, I walked into Bahama Breeze for the very first time on Orlando’s International Drive. Immediately, I was transported to the islands, soaking in the reggae music, sipping on fruity drinks, and feasting on exotic fare in the vibrantly hued and decorated space. Years later, when I was living in Chicago and then Philadelphia, I would walk into other outposts of the Darden-owned chain to escape from the chill of winter. I remember the restaurants being packed and thriving, always having to wait for a table. However, like other chains, Bahama Breeze has been struggling over the past few years. This week, Darden announced the closure of one-third of the Bahamas-themed chain’s locations.
Darden Restaurants announced that 15 of 43 Bahama Breeze restaurants closed in May. The shuttered restaurants were spread across eight states, with the bulk concentrated in Florida and New Jersey, as well as in Tennessee, Nevada, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, and New York.
“Closing these restaurants is a difficult business decision, and one that we made carefully and thoughtfully, particularly because it impacts our team members and guests,” the restaurant said in a statement. Darden is doing its best to find jobs for the displaced employees in other restaurants it owns or give them severance.
NJ Biz reports that all but one location in the Garden State were closed: Paramus, Toms River, Wayne, and Woodbridge. “A filing with the state Department of Labor & Workforce Development shows that 327 workers in New Jersey were let go, effective May 15,” they said. The Cherry Hill location is the only one remaining open.
According to WFLA, locations in Tampa, Brandon, and Lutz, as well as most in Orlando, were spared. Below are the Florida locations closed.
- 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
Darden also closed an Eddie V’s location in Boston, and two Seasons 52 units in Sacramento, California, and the Kansas City area.
The closures will allow Darden to “focus on its highest performing restaurants and strengthen the brand’s overall performance,” a spokesperson for the parent company, Darden Restaurants, told the Naples Daily News.
Bahama Breeze recorded $246.7 million in U.S. sales last year, down 7.7% from 2023, CNN reports.
