Fayetteville Bahama Breeze To Get New Branding As Owner Plans to End Restaurant Chain
14 Bahama Breeze restaurants across the country will close permanently, and another 14 — including the Fayetteville location — will be turned into different restaurant brands.
The Fayetteville Bahama Breeze in front of Cross Creek Mall back when it was opening in February of 2024.
Don Chase / Beasley MediaOne of Fayetteville's newer restaurants is facing a major shift as part of a nationwide restructuring by its parent company, as Bahama Breeze will be changing brands soon.
Darden Restaurants, the Orlando-based operator of well-known chains such as Olive Garden and LongHorn Steakhouse, has announced it is winding down the Bahama Breeze brand after completing a strategic review of the concept.
As a result, 14 Bahama Breeze restaurants across the country will close permanently, and another 14 — including the one at 570 Cross Creek Mall in Fayetteville — are slated to be converted into a different restaurant under the Darden umbrella.
The Fayetteville location - which opened in February of 2024 - like its counterparts chosen for conversion, will continue serving customers while Darden determines what new brand will take its place. The company said the remodeling and rebranding process could stretch over the next 12 to 18 months, with temporary closures only if needed during construction.
Fayetteville has three other Darden brands already, including Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen, Longhorn Steakhouse and Olive Garden. Other potential options in the Darden umbrella include Chuy's, Yard House, The Capital Grille, Seasons 52, Eddie V's Prime Seafood and Ruth's Chris Steak House.
For the 14 Bahama Breeze restaurants that are closing entirely, operations are expected to continue through April 5, 2026 before shutting their doors for good. Darden has not publicly shared which specific Darden brands will replace the converted Bahama Breeze sites.
In a statement accompanying the announcement, Darden emphasized that the conversions and closures are not expected to have a significant impact on the company’s overall financial results. The focus, the company said, will be on supporting team members affected by the changes and finding roles for as many as possible within Darden’s broader portfolio.
The decision caps months of internal review after Darden earlier determined the Bahama Breeze chain was no longer a strategic priority for the company’s long-term growth plans.
