After closing 15 Bahama Breeze restaurants last year, restaurant operating group Darden Restaurants has opted to close or convert all remaining 28 locations of the Caribbean-inspired, seafood-focused chain.
Since last June, Darden executives have stated that Bahama Breeze was no longer a strategic priority for the company. At the time, Darden CEO Rick Cardenas said the company was considering selling the chain entirely or converting all of its locations to other Darden brands, per Restaurant Dive.
That strategic consideration has now become a reality, according to Darden.
“The company has now determined that it will permanently close 14 Bahama Breeze restaurants and plans to convert the remaining 14 locations into another Darden brand,” Darden said on 3 February.
Many of the restaurants that will be closed or converted are located in the U.S. state of Florida, with other locations in Georgia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, North Carolina, Virginia, Delaware, South Carolina, and Michigan.
The 14 restaurants designated for permanent closure will continue operating through 5 April, and the company anticipates converting the remaining 14 locations over the next 12 to 18 months.
“They are expected to continue to operate until any temporary closures are needed for the conversion,” Darden said.
The company said the conversion locations are “great sites that will benefit several of the brands in its portfolio” but noted that it will not be disclosing the specific Darden brands to which the locations will be converted.
Moving forward, Darden’s primary focus will continue to be on supporting team members, including placing as many as possible in roles within the Darden portfolio. The company does not expect the closure and conversions to have a material impact on its financial results.
Darden’s sales performed well throughout fiscal year 2025 and into 2026. In fiscal Q2 2026, its total sales increased 7.3 percent to USD 3.1 billion (EUR 2.6 billion). The sales hike was driven by a blended same-restaurant sales increase of 4.3 percent and sales from 30 net new restaurants, the company said.
Longhorn Steakhouse achieved the largest sales increase of any Darden brand in the quarter, achieving 5.9 percent growth, followed by Olive Garden, which realized 4.7 percent growth.
