New York
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Bahama Breeze, the Caribbean-themed dining chain, is shutting down after a 30-year stint in the business.
Darden Restaurants, which also owns Olive Garden and LongHorn Steakhouse, announced Tuesday that it’s closing the remaining 28 locations in the coming months, with half of them shutting down completely and half being converted into other chains that its parent company owns.
The closure comes nearly a year after Bahama Breeze abruptly shut one-third of its locations and Darden announcing it was considering strategic alternatives for the brand, including a possible sale.
The final day of operations for Bahama Breeze will be April 5, with locations closing in Delaware, Georgia, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, Virginia, and Washington, as well as two in Pennsylvania and five in Florida.
Darden is converting the remaining 14 locations, including 10 around Orlando, Florida, to other brands over the next 12 to 18 months, but hasn’t revealed which specific chain it will change to. A full list is available here and they will operate as a Bahama Breeze until then.
“The company believes the conversion locations are great sites that will benefit several of the brands in its portfolio,” it said in a press release. “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.”
Some restaurant chains that cater to lower- and middle-income families have been struggling over the past few years because diners are abandoning them as their disposable income shrinks because of inflation. Consumer confidence is also slumping.
However, some casual chains are doing well, including other Darden brands like Olive Garden and LongHorn Steakhouse. In the company’s most recent earnings report, both of those chains reported positive same-store sales increases as consumers searched for value.
Darden’s (DRI) stock has jumped 8% so far this year.
