AN OLIVE Garden sister restaurant is shuttering soon – with bosses permanently closing dozens in weeks.
Fans are lamenting the “end of an era” as every Bahama Breeze will close despite 30 years of serving food to diners.
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A sister restaurant to Olive Garden is closing all of its locations in weeks
28 Bahama Breeze restaurants will shortly shutter (stock image)Credit: Alamy
Darden Restaurants, a firm which owns a chain of restaurants including Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse and Bahama Breeze, has confirmed the latter will close shortly.
The Bahama Breeze brand, and its 28 locations, are “no longer a strategic priority,” it announced last month.
Half of the doomed eateries will shutter on April 5 – leaving regulars just one month to dine in them.
The other half will eventually be converted into a different restaurant brand, the name of which has not been disclosed.
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“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,” the firm said.
“The 14 restaurants designated for permanent closure are expected to continue operating through April 5, 2026.”
Darden declined to share the “specifics” as yet of what brand of restaurant will replace the remainder, or when their revamps will start.
“The company anticipates converting the remaining 14 locations over the next 12-18 months,” it added.
“At this time, the company is not disclosing the specific Darden brands into which these locations will be converted.
“They are expected to continue to operate until any temporary closures are needed for the conversion.”
Bahama Breeze restaurants are closing across many statesCredit: Alamy
Diners have said ‘RIP’ to their favorite restaurantCredit: Alamy
Fans have been lamenting the closure of their favorite Bahama Breeze restaurants on social media.
“No, that’s our favorite restaurant!” wrote one upset diner.
“The cilantro chicken is really good! They have many other options that are great too along with a really nice atmosphere, sad that it would close,” said another.
“This is sad. They are near my house and love their outside fire and live band. Tonight I drove past and there are fires, music, people dancing. Sad,” was a further response.
Which Bahama Breeze restaurant locations are closing?
Conversions of 14 Bahama Breeze spots will take place in:
Altamonte Springs, Brandon, Fort Myers, Kissimmee (the location on Bronson Memorial Highway), Lutz, all four locations in Orlando, and Tampa, in Florida
Kennesaw, Georgia
Fayetteville, North Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina
Virginia Beach, Virginia
Bahama Breeze will close the other 14 restaurants across nine states, including Delaware, Michigan, Florida, Georgia, New Jersey, North Carolina, Virginia, Pennsylvania and Washington.
Some staff members were offered positions at different Darden-owned restaurants, while others received severance packages.
At one spot in Tyngsboro, Massachusetts, 73 staffers lost their jobs.
Others said they had “good memories” including dining with their kids at Bahama Breeze, while one said she was “hurting”. “RIP,” added one man.
Americans have been urged to support their local restaurants – or lose them forever.
“It’s getting harder for restaurants, breweries, and distilleries to survive,” said one woman.
“If you have your favorites, I would suggest you patronize them as often as you can.”
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