In 2025, Tennessee is losing more than just restaurants – it’s losing pieces of its everyday life. From beloved bakery cafés to tropical escapes to familiar wings joints, closures across the state are stirring up disappointment, nostalgia, and questions about what the future holds.
Below, we zoom in on three chains with footprints in Tennessee – Ham’N Goodys, Bahama Breeze, and Hooters plus some other local favorites.
Bahama Breeze
Bahama Breeze wasn’t a Tennessee-born chain, but its Memphis location had become a go-to for island-tinted dinners, cocktails, and a break from the ordinary. That too is now off the map.
- What closed: On May 15, 2025, Bahama Breeze permanently shut its Tennessee location (Memphis) as part of a sweeping 15-store closure across multiple states.
- Chain context: The closures were part of a corporate realignment. The parent company (Darden Restaurants) blamed a 7.7% drop in sales in 2024 and stated that Bahama Breeze no longer aligned with its strategic priorities. The company has also signaled it may sell or rebrand the brand entirely.
- Impact locally: That Memphis branch employed nearly 100 people, many of whom were laid off or reassigned. For diners, it means losing an escape to jerk chicken, tropical cocktails, and a touch of island flair.
Ham’N Goodys…