Beloved restaurant chain Bahama Breeze could be shut down or sold, owners say

ORLANDO, Fla. (Gray News) - The parent company of a beloved restaurant chain has announced it will possibly be selling the brand to a new owner.

Darden Restaurants CEO Ricardo Cardenas said in an earnings call this week that the Bahama Breeze restaurant chain is no longer a priority.

Cardenas shared that the company is considering selling the Caribbean-inspired brand while the team considers “strategic alternatives” for Bahama Breeze.

Just last month, Bahama Breeze abruptly closed more than one-third of its restaurants.

Darden Restaurants said in a statement that the closure of the 15 locations was the “right decision” as “it would allow Bahama Breeze to focus on its highest performing restaurants,” CNN reported.

However, Cardenas shared on Friday that after further review, the group has made the “difficult decision” that the “remaining locations and the Bahama Breeze brand are not a strategic priority.”

The Caribbean-inspired chain currently has just 29 restaurants remaining.

Bahama Breeze reportedly saw its sales decline by nearly 8% last year.

According to Cardenas, some of the alternatives they are also considering for the brand include converting the restaurants into other Darden brands.

Darden Restaurants’ portfolio of restaurants includes Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, Yard House and Ruth’s Chris Steak House.