4 island-themed restaurants abruptly close in NJ, leaving one open

🌴 A popular Caribbean-style restaurant abruptly closes 15 locations

🌴 These include four in NJ leaving only one spot open

🌴 The focus is on the chain's highest-performing locations

In an abrupt move, the owners of Bahama Breeze restaurants closed 15 locations across eight states, including New Jersey.

Darden Restaurants, which also owns other restaurant chains like Olive Garden and LongHorn Steakhouse, told USA Today the Bahama Breeze closures were the result of continuous evaluations of all its locations.

Bahama Breeze with its island vibes, is known for its tropical cocktails, laid-back island décor, and tasty Caribbean dishes.

Four New Jersey locations in Paramus, Toms River, Wayne, and Woodbridge were abruptly closed on Thursday, May 15, according to the report. The closures leave just one New Jersey Bahama Breeze open, at the Cherry Hill Mall.

“We continually evaluate the performance of all our restaurants. Closing a restaurant is a difficult choice because it impacts our team members and guests. However, we believe this is the right decision because it will allow Bahama Breeze to focus on its highest performing restaurants and strengthen the brand’s overall performance,” Darden Restaurants spokesperson Kiara Buckner told USA Today.

Besides the four in New Jersey, five Bahama Breeze restaurants closed in Florida abruptly, as well as one each in Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New York, and Tennessee.

New Jersey Bahama Breeze Shuttered Locations

• 520 Woodbridge Center Dr, Woodbridge
• 1201 Hooper Ave, Toms River
• 101 NJ-23, Wayne
• 1600 Bergen Town Center, Paramus

Other U.S. Bahama Breeze Restaurants That Closed

• 3989 Plaza Blvd, Gainesville, Florida
• 2088 9th St N, Naples, Florida
• 1786 W International Speedway Blvd, Daytona Beach, Florida
• 2750 Sawgrass Mills Cir, Sunrise, Florida
• 3339 N Federal Hwy, Oakland Park, Florida
• 406 E Golf Rd, Schaumburg, Illinois
• 413 Middlesex Rd, Tyngsborough, Massachusetts
• 539 E Big Beaver Rd, Troy, Michigan
• 375 Hughes Center Dr, Las Vegas, Nevada
• 612 Smith Haven Mall, Lake Grove, New York
• 2830 N Germantown Pkwy, Memphis, Tennessee

Toms River has been a hot spot for popular chain restaurant closures recently. In February, On the Border Mexican Grille and Cantina at the Ocean County Mall shut down, after having only been open for a little more than two years.

Also in February, TGI Fridays closed its long-time restaurant on Hooper Avenue, near the mall.

In spring 2024, the Red Lobster in Toms River, which was also owned by Darden Restaurants until 2014, closed, as well.

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