Bahama Breeze is disappearing. Here's what is happening to its restaurants

A Bahama Breeze restaurant in Gainesville, Fla., is shown in 2018. Darden Restaurants is winding down the Bahama Breeze brand, permanently closing 14 locations and converting 14 others into other Darden restaurant concepts. (Todd Van Hoosear/Flickr via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0)

ORLANDO, Fla. (ABNN) - For Bahama Breeze customers, the end of the restaurant chain is no longer some future plan.

It is happening location by location.

Darden Restaurants is continuing to wind down the Caribbean-themed chain after announcing in February that it would permanently close 14 restaurants and convert the remaining 14 locations into other Darden brands.

The company said Bahama Breeze and its 28 remaining locations were "no longer a strategic priority."

The first 14 restaurants were designated for permanent closure. Darden said the other 14 would continue operating until temporary closures were needed to convert them into other restaurants in its portfolio.

The transition is continuing months later.

Georgia's last Bahama Breeze in Kennesaw closed this past weekend. Darden says the location will be converted into a Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen.

Darden's restaurant portfolio also includes Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, Yard House, Chuy's, Ruth's Chris Steak House, The Capital Grille, Eddie V's and Seasons 52.

The company originally said the conversion process would take 12 to 18 months.

That means there is no single closing day for Bahama Breeze.

Instead, the brand is disappearing restaurant by restaurant as permanent closures take effect and surviving locations temporarily close for conversion.

Locations Darden designated for permanent closure

• 500 Center Blvd., Newark, Delaware

• 3590 Breckenridge Blvd., Duluth, Georgia

• 12395 SW 88th St., Miami

• 10205 Rivercoast Drive, Jacksonville, Florida

• 1251 West Osceola Pkwy., Kissimmee, Florida

• 11000 Pines Blvd., Pembroke Pines, Florida

• 1540 Rinehart Road, Sanford, Florida

• 19600 Haggerty Road, Livonia, Michigan

• 2000 Route 38, Cherry Hill, New Jersey

• 3309 Wake Forest Drive, Raleigh, North Carolina

• 320 Goddard Blvd., King of Prussia, Pennsylvania

• 6100 Robinson Center Drive, Pittsburgh

• 2714 Potomac Mills Circle, Woodbridge, Virginia

• 15700 Southcenter Pkwy., Tukwila, Washington

Locations Darden designated for conversion

• 499 E. Altamonte Drive, Altamonte Springs, Florida

• 805 Brandon Town Center Drive, Brandon, Florida

• 14701 S. Tamiami Trail, Fort Myers, Florida

• 8160 Irlo Bronson Memorial Hwy., Kissimmee, Florida

• 25830 Sierra Center Blvd., Lutz, Florida

• 5620 W. Oak Ridge Road, Orlando, Florida

• 8849 International Drive, Orlando, Florida

• 8735 Vineland Ave., Orlando, Florida

• 1200 N. Alafaya Drive, Orlando, Florida

• 3045 N. Rocky Point Drive East, Tampa, Florida

• 755 Earnest W. Barrett Pkwy. NW, Kennesaw, Georgia

• 570 Cross Creek Mall, Fayetteville, North Carolina

• 7811 Rivers Ave., Charleston, South Carolina

• 4554 Virginia Beach Blvd., Virginia Beach, Virginia

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