342 jobs cut as Bahama Breeze closes 5 Florida restaurants

Bahama Breeze Island Grille, a chain of Caribbean-themed restaurants, has laid off 342 employees after closing five locations in Florida, including one on Ninth Street North in Naples where 68 people lost their jobs.

In all, the chain closed 15 of its restaurants nationwide leading to at least 830 job cuts.

The closings — and the associated job cuts — are part of what the chain’s parent company, Orlando-based Darden, calls a decision to focus its efforts on “its highest performing restaurants and strengthen the brand’s overall performance.”