Caribbean flavors on the chopping block: Darden looks to say goodbye to Bahama Breeze

Bahama Breeze, the tropical-style restaurant chain owned by Darden, is on the chopping block. Darden Restaurants, the parent company of Olive Garden and LongHorn Steakhouse, is considering its options for Bahama Breeze.

The company announced that it is considering "strategic alternatives." CEO Rick Cardenas stated that the brand no longer fits the company's focus. After closing 15 locations, the Caribbean-themed chain now has only 28 remaining, and the future does not look promising, as per a report.

Why is Darden selling the Caribbean chain?

The owner of Longhorn Steakhouse and Olive Garden wants to sell the chain of Caribbean restaurants. Analysts and investors were informed on Friday by CEO Rick Cardenas that the company "will be considering strategic alternatives" for Bahamas Breeze, including selling the chain or "converting restaurants to other Darden brands,” as per a report by Fox Business.


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The business just carried out strategic planning for all of its chains. After completing that process and conducting an additional review, Cardenas explained that Darden reached the "difficult decision" to determine that the brand and the remaining 28 Bahama Breeze restaurants” are not a strategic priority for us."

Will Bahama Breeze get new owners?

The CEO informed analysts and investors, "We also believe that this brand and these restaurants have the potential to benefit from a new owner."

What’s next for the Bahama Breeze restaurants?

In the 1990s, Darden Restaurants founded Bahama Breeze. The restaurant chain is well-known for its tropical drinks and cuisine with Caribbean influences. The CEO of the parent company of the chain spoke about the decision to consider "strategic alternatives" for Bahama Breeze and added that Darden was "not going to be putting a lot of investment into Bahama Breeze."

Darden stated that he had concluded that Bahama Breeze "doesn’t meet the criteria anymore" for its family of restaurant brands. At the same time that the Florida-based restaurant chain's fourth-quarter financial figures were made public, Darden said that "strategic alternatives" for Bahama Breeze were being evaluated.

FAQs

Why is Darden getting rid of Bahama Breeze?
The brand no longer fits its growth strategy, and Darden is considering selling or converting it.

How many Bahama Breeze locations remain?
As of May, after 15 closures, the chain had only 28 restaurants.