Bahama Breeze, the Caribbean-themed chain that has served conch fritters and frozen tropical drinks for 30 years, is down to its final stretch. Only about 11 locations are still open, and every one of them is scheduled to close, with the first shutting its doors this weekend.
The short answer to why is not that Bahama Breeze failed. Its parent company, Darden Restaurants, is healthy and growing. The chain simply stopped being worth keeping next to Darden’s bigger brands, so the company is doing something more interesting than a plain shutdown. It is turning the buildings into other restaurants.
What is happening and when
Darden announced in February that it had finished reviewing Bahama Breeze’s future and would close some locations outright while converting the rest into other brands in its portfolio. The restaurants still standing are now closing on a rolling schedule that runs into 2027, each reopening months later under a new name.
Here is the current schedule for the remaining locations:
- Kennesaw, GA closes Aug. 30, reopening as Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen
- Fayetteville, NC closes Sept. 7, reopening as Chuy’s
- Orlando, FL (Grand National) closes Sept. 28, reopening as Olive Garden
- Altamonte Springs, FL closes Oct. 17, reopening as Yard House
- Charleston, SC closes Oct. 26, reopening as Chuy’s
- Lutz, FL (Wesley Chapel) closes Nov. 7, reopening as Yard House
- Orlando, FL (Lake Buena Vista) closes Feb. 2027, reopening as Yard House
- Tampa, FL closes Feb. 2027, reopening as Yard House
- Orlando, FL (International Drive) closes April 2027, reopening as Chuy’s
- Ft. Myers, FL closes May 2027, reopening as Yard House
The real reason so many are becoming Chuy’s
Look at how often Chuy’s shows up on that list. That is no accident. Darden bought Chuy’s, the Austin-born Tex-Mex chain known for its creamy jalapeño dip, in 2024, and it now wants to grow that brand quickly. Converting a Bahama Breeze it already owns is far cheaper and faster than buying land and building a restaurant from scratch. In one case, Darden confirmed it is simply moving an existing Chuy’s in the Orlando area into a nearby former Bahama Breeze space…