Photo screenshot: Bahama Breeze
Bahama Breeze is approaching the end of its run as a national restaurant brand, with 11 locations still operating across Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina.
Darden Restaurants, which has owned the Caribbean themed chain for years, plans to close the remaining restaurants and convert the properties into other concepts within its portfolio. The transition is expected to continue through 2027.
Bahama Breeze locations are disappearing gradually
The first of the remaining restaurants is scheduled to close in Kennesaw, Georgia, on Aug. 30. The location is expected to return as a Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen later in September.
Fayetteville, North Carolina, follows Sept. 7, with the restaurant planned for conversion into a Chuy’s. In Orlando, the Grand National location is scheduled to close Sept. 28 before becoming an Olive Garden.
Several other locations will follow during the fall. The Altamonte Springs, Florida, restaurant is scheduled to become a Yard House after closing in October. The Charleston, South Carolina, location is also expected to become a Chuy’s, while the Lutz location near Wesley Chapel is planned for a Yard House conversion.
The remaining Florida restaurants have longer timelines. Locations in Orlando’s Lake Buena Vista area and Tampa are expected to close in February 2027 and become Yard House restaurants.
The Orlando location on International Drive is scheduled for a Chuy’s conversion in the spring. The Fort Myers restaurant is expected to close in May 2027 before becoming another Yard House.
What happens to the final Bahama Breeze restaurants
The changes mean customers will not see every Bahama Breeze location disappear at once. Instead, the brand’s footprint will shrink one restaurant at a time as Darden repurposes the properties.
The company previously announced plans involving 28 Bahama Breeze restaurants, with some locations set to close and others being converted into different Darden concepts. The decision followed a review of the brand’s future within the company’s restaurant portfolio.
Bahama Breeze opened its first restaurant in Orlando in 1996 and became known for Caribbean inspired food, tropical drinks and island themed dining rooms. For longtime customers, the staggered schedule offers a final opportunity to visit some locations before they change names.
The remaining restaurants are spread across four states, but their time as Bahama Breeze locations is limited. By the middle of 2027, the company expects the transition to be largely complete.
For customers who have followed the brand for decades, the most noticeable change may come one familiar location at a time. A restaurant that once offered an island themed escape will soon carry a very different name.
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