Business
Darden Restaurants Completes Exploration of Strategic Alternatives for Bahama Breeze
Darden Restaurants, Inc. ("Darden") (NYSE: DRI) today announced that it has completed its exploration of strategic alternatives for Bahama Breeze. Previously, the company announced that the Bahama Breeze brand, and its 28 locations, were no longer a strategic priority and that it would consider strategic alternatives, including a potential sale of the brand or converting restaurants to other Darden brands.
About this update from Darden Restaurants, Inc.
[{"type":"text","content":"ORLANDO, Fla., Feb. 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Darden Restaurants, Inc. ("Darden") (NYSE: DRI) today announced that it has completed its exploration of strategic alternatives for Bahama Breeze. Previously, the company announced that the Bahama Breeze brand, and its 28 locations, were no longer a strategic priority and that it would consider strategic alternatives, including a potential sale of the brand or converting restaurants to other Darden brands.","length":463,"tagName":"p"},{"type":"text","content":"The company has now determined that it will permanently close 14 Bahama Breeze restaurants and plans to convert the remaining 14 locations into another Darden brand. The company does not expect these actions to have a material impact on its financial results.","length":259,"tagName":"p"},{"type":"text","content":"The 14 restaurants designated for permanent closure are expected to continue operating through April 5, 2026. The company anticipates converting the remaining 14 locations over the next 12-18 months. They are expected to continue to operate until any temporary closures are needed for the conversion. At this time, the company is not disclosing the specific Darden brands into which these locations will be converted.","length":417,"tagName":"p"},{"type":"text","content":"The company believes the conversion locations are great sites that will benefit several of the brands in its portfolio. Going forward, the primary focus will continue to be on supporting team members, including placing as many as possible in roles within the Darden portfolio.","length":276,"tagName":"p"},{"type":"text","content":"A list of the locations of Bahama Breeze restaurants that will be closing and those that are expected to be converted is provided below.","length":136,"tagName":"p"},{"type":"table","headerItems":[],"items":[{"val":[{"colspan":"1","rowspan":"1","style":"PADDING-RIGHT:0.17em;PADDING-LEFT:0.17em;VERTICAL-ALIGN:BOTTOM;","val":[{"type":"text","content":"CLOSING RESTAURANT LOCATIONS","length":28,"tagName":"p","attribs":{}}]},{"colspan":"1","rowspan":"1","style":"PADDING-RIGHT:0.17em;PADDING-LEFT:0.17em;VERTICAL-ALIGN:BOTTOM;","val":[{"type":"text","content":"CONVERSION RESTAURANT LOCATIONS","length":31,"tagName":"p","attribs":{}}]}]},{"val":[{"colspan":"1","rowspan":"1","style":"PADDING-RIGHT:0.17em;PADDING-LEFT:0.17em;VERTICA...