Bahama Breeze Closes Daytona Beach Location

The Bahama Breeze restaurant in Daytona Beach suddenly closed on Thursday, with seemingly no notice to the community that it was going away. The closure was part of a greater decision to close over one third of the company’s locations, according to a report by CNN on Friday. The Bahama Breeze restaurant in question was located at 1786 W International Speedway Blvd, just across the street from turn four at Daytona International Speedway. The location was seemingly prime for race and bike week traffic, situated just next to the Sunoco station at Int’l Speedway Blvd and Bill France Blvd. Reports from the scene said a note was posted in the window which read: “This location is permanently closed … We appreciate your business”. The sign also reportedly encouraged patrons to dine at Olive Garden or Cheddar’s instead, both of which are Bahama Breeze’s sister-brands the ownership of Darden Restaurants, Inc. According to CNN’s report, five of the newly-closed Bahama Breeze locations were in Florida, with four closing in New Jersey plus one each in Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New York, and Tennessee. The company’s website still lists sixteen active locations in Florida, with the closest to Volusia County being several in and around Orlando. Other restaurants under Darden Restaurants Inc’s ownership include Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, LongHorn Steakhouse, and Eddie V’s Prime Seafood. As of 2024 the corporation was valued at $11.30 billion in total assets, with a total equity of $2.24 billion. Over 190,000 employees reportedly work for Darden Restaurants.