Did Bahama Breeze shut down 15 restaurants? Darden Restaurants' spokesperson Kiara Buckner reveals the reason

Bahama Breeze has closed 15 of its operating restaurants this week alone, USA Today has reported.

One of the national chain’s restaurants, located in the Butler North shopping plaza in Gainesville, now displays the following sign on its front door, according to local news outlet The Gainesville Sun:

"This location is permanently closed. Please visit a nearby sister location," the sign read, directing customers to visit Olive Garden and LongHorn Steakhouse. "We appreciate your business."

Out of their 43 locations, 15 restaurants have been closed. In a statement to USA Today, Darden Restaurants spokesperson Kiara Buckner said:

"We continually evaluate the performance of all our restaurants. Closing a restaurant is a difficult choice because it impacts our team members and guests. However, 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."

Bahama Breeze's latest developments, explored

According to USA Today, Bahama Breeze outlets in Naples, Las Vegas, and Memphis were among those that shut down this week. According to The Naples Daily News, the local outlet had shut down after launching just 11 months ago.

"We are doing everything we can to place as many impacted team members as possible at nearby Darden brands," the company added in the statement.

As for which of the outlets have been shut down, the news outlet has issued a detailed list about the same:

• 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
• 406 E Golf Rd, Schaumburg, Illinois 60173
• 413 Middlesex Rd, Tyngsborough, Massachusetts 01879
• 539 E Big Beaver Rd, Troy, Michigan 48083
• 375 Hughes Center Dr, Las Vegas, Nevada 89169
• 520 Woodbridge Center Dr, Woodbridge, New Jersey 07095
• 1201 Hooper Ave, Toms River, New Jersey 08753
• 101 NJ-23, Wayne, New Jersey 07470
• 1600 Bergen Town Center, Paramus, New Jersey 07652
• 612 Smith Haven Mall, Lake Grove, New York 11755
• 2830 N Germantown Pkwy, Memphis, Tennessee 38133

At the time of writing, the Memphis, Tennessee location also shows "Permanently Closed" on its Facebook page.

According to The Gainesville Sun, Darden Restaurants Inc. owns Bahama Breeze, along with Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, Yard House, Ruth's Chris Steak House, Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen, The Capital Grille, Seasons 52, and Eddie V’s.

Bahama Breeze was founded in 1996 in Orlando, Florida, and reportedly has 43 operating locations across the United States.

×

Was this article helpful?

Thank You for feedback