Tony Roma's

What Tony Roma's does

Tony Roma's is a full-service American casual dining restaurant chain founded in 1972 in North Miami, Florida, and currently operated through its parent company Romacorp, Inc. (incorporated in Florida, headquartered in Orlando). The brand serves families, groups, and individual diners seeking premium Baby Back Ribs alongside a broader menu of steaks, seafood, chicken, burgers, and signature cocktails (most notably the Romarita). After reaching a peak of 200+ U.S. units in the 1980s and growing into more than 30 countries internationally, the chain's domestic footprint has contracted to approximately seven U.S. restaurants over the past two decades while its international master franchise network has remained the primary scale engine, with 90+ locations globally.

The company has invested in a technology-enabled franchise operating platform built around three named capabilities: AI-driven site selection (used to identify optimal new restaurant locations), predictive maintenance (to anticipate equipment failures), and unified data systems (to connect franchise operations end-to-end). These systems are bundled into a modernized franchise offering targeted at multi-unit operators, alongside a smaller, more flexible restaurant prototype intended to lower buildout costs. A fast-casual sub-brand, Bones & Burgers, extends the brand into adjacent formats. Ancillary product lines include digital and physical gift cards and event-based food truck operations.

Tony Roma's revenue model is primarily franchise-driven, generating corporate revenue from initial franchise fees, ongoing royalty payments on franchisee sales, and brand licensing arrangements, supplemented by direct food and beverage sales and gift card revenue. Distribution spans franchised restaurants in 30+ countries, direct online ordering (ordertonyromas.com), third-party delivery aggregators (DoorDash, Uber Eats, Grubhub, Skip the Dishes, ChowNow, Wolt, ezCater for catering), and OpenTable reservations. The go-to-market motion is dual-pronged: a channel-partner push recruiting multi-unit franchisees to rebuild U.S. presence, paired with international licensing deals (notably a Shenzhen flagship scheduled for Q3 2026) and high-visibility brand activations (FIFA World Cup 2026 vendor, Art Basel, Davos, UN General Assembly) targeting consumer awareness and franchisee lead generation.

Name

Tony Roma's

Legal name

Romacorp, Inc.

Website

https://tonyromas.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Tony Roma's is a privately held American casual dining franchise founded in 1972, operating 90+ franchised restaurants in 30+ countries and serving families and groups seeking signature Baby Back Ribs. The company is rebuilding its U.S. footprint under new leadership with AI-enabled franchise systems.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Casual Dining Restaurants

NAICS

Full-Service Restaurants (722511), Restaurants and Other Eating Places (72251)

SIC

Retail-Eating Places (5812)

akta.pro primary industry

Family-Style Restaurants (THAFACAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Steakhouses & Seafood Restaurants (THAFACAE)

Keywords

• Casual dining restaurants
• BBQ ribs franchise
• Full-service dining
• American cuisine chain
• Restaurant franchise program

Headquarters

HQ city

Orlando

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Franchise Fees and Royalties: Revenue generated from franchise operators including initial franchise fees and ongoing royalty payments based on franchisee sales
2. Food and Beverage Sales: Direct restaurant sales from dine-in, takeout, and delivery orders across company-owned and franchised locations globally
3. Gift Cards: Sale of gift cards at participating U.S. restaurants including Guam locations

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Tony Roma's is an American casual dining chain that sells signature Baby Back Ribs alongside steaks, seafood, chicken, burgers, and the signature Romarita cocktail through full-service franchised and company-owned restaurants across more than 30 countries. The company also generates revenue from franchise fees, royalties, gift cards, and catering, and is modernizing its franchise model with AI-driven site selection, predictive maintenance, and unified data systems.

Product overview

Tony Roma's is a full-service casual dining restaurant chain founded in 1972, offering a unified menu centered on its signature Baby Back Ribs alongside steaks, burgers, seafood, and chicken entrees. The company operates a core restaurant brand across more than 30 countries, complemented by gift card products and franchise opportunities. The product portfolio is unified under a single brand experience, with menu adaptations for international markets. Recent strategic initiatives include returning to China through a licensing partnership and modernizing U.S. franchise operations with AI-driven site selection and predictive maintenance technologies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Bones & Burgers: A fast casual offshoot concept of Tony Roma's with a smaller, more flexible restaurant prototype targeting multi-unit operators.

Products and services

• Tony Roma's Restaurant (Core Brand) Full-service casual dining family restaurant chain specializing in signature Baby Back Ribs, steaks, and a diverse menu including chicken, seafood, burgers, starters, and desserts; founded in 1972 and operating across more than 30 countries worldwide.
• Baby Back Ribs Tony Roma's signature Baby Back Ribs featuring tender, lean pork loin ribs richly seasoned with select spices and slow-smoked, basted with TR's Original BBQ sauce or other signature sauces; also available in St. Louis Ribs and other cuts.
• Gift Cards Digital eGift Cards and physical gift cards available for purchase, valid at participating Tony Roma's restaurants in the United States including Guam.
• Food Truck Services Mobile food truck operations for events including the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Dallas, serving ribs and other signature menu items at official venues.
• Franchise Program Multi-unit franchise operator program featuring AI-driven site selection, predictive maintenance, unified data systems, and a smaller, more flexible restaurant prototype for domestic U.S. expansion under the Tony Roma's and Bones & Burgers brands.
• The Romarita Tony Roma's signature cocktail featuring Sauza Gold tequila, described as the most popular cocktail at the chain.

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

AI capability2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• China Strategic Partner (Shenzhen/Shanghai Expansion)flagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 14 May 2026Strategic brand licensing deal for China market reentry with flagship location in Shenzhen (Q3 2026) and second location in Shanghai. The Shenzhen restaurant will serve as a prototype showcasing elevated brand experience combining signature American barbecue with localized adaptations for Chinese consumers.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Outback Steakhouse: Bloomin' Brands-owned casual dining chain specializing in steaks and American fare. Closely comparable to Tony Roma's in full-service casual dining positioning, US franchise and corporate mix, and menu breadth across steaks, ribs, and chicken.
• Texas Roadhouse: Large US casual dining chain centered on steaks and American comfort food. Directly comparable to Tony Roma's on full-service casual dining format, American menu profile, and dine-in family occasion use case, though at significantly larger scale.
• Applebee's: Iconic American casual dining bar-and-grill franchise. Highly comparable to Tony Roma's on full-service casual dining, predominantly franchise model, American menu positioning, and similar target demographic of families and groups.
• Chili's Grill & Bar: Brinker International-owned casual dining chain with a broad American menu including ribs, steaks, burgers, and fajitas. Closely comparable on casual dining positioning, menu overlap, and franchise/corporate mix.
• TGI Fridays: Legacy casual dining bar-and-grill concept with global presence and franchise-heavy model. Directly comparable to Tony Roma's on casual dining heritage, international franchise footprint, and bar-driven dine-in experience.
• Bonefish Grill: Bloomin' Brands-owned casual dining concept focused on seafood and American fare. Comparable to Tony Roma's on full-service casual dining positioning, menu breadth including seafood, and similar dinner-occasion target customer.

Broad incumbents

• Hard Rock Cafe: Iconic themed casual dining chain with global footprint and strong brand recognition. Comparable to Tony Roma's on legacy American casual dining brand, international franchise/licensing model, and tourist/family occasion positioning.
• The Cheesecake Factory: Upscale casual dining chain with extensive American menu and global locations. Comparable on full-service casual dining format, broad menu positioning, and dine-in family/group use case.
• Denny's: Legacy American family-style casual dining chain with broad menu and heavy franchise mix. Comparable to Tony Roma's on legacy brand status, family dining positioning, and predominantly franchise operating model.
• P.F. Chang's: Casual dining chain with global franchise presence. Comparable to Tony Roma's on full-service casual dining, international franchise footprint, and brand-licensed expansion into Asia.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/tonyromas
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/TonyRomasVideo
• Facebookfacebook.com/TonyRomasOfficial
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tonyromasofficial
• Instagraminstagram.com/tonyromaslegendarygrill

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Tony Roma's