Tony Roma’s

Tony Roma’s is a casual dining restaurant brand built around ribs, steaks, and classic American comfort food, serving guests in full-service, family-friendly restaurants in the United States and abroad. The typical restaurant operates as a sit-down format that draws families, office groups, and tourists, with traffic that is strongest in the evenings and on weekends. Locations tend to sit alongside other national and regional restaurant names in high-visibility trade areas, including lifestyle centers, power centers, established urban dining corridors, and tourist-focused districts.

The brand began in 1972, when founder Tony Roma opened the first restaurant in North Miami, Florida as a steak and prime rib house before ribs emerged as the signature menu item. Over time, the concept grew across the United States and then into international markets through franchising and master franchise agreements, with early momentum in California, Hawaii, and several Asian markets. A notable milestone in the company’s evolution was the shift from a founder-led business to institutional ownership and professional management, which helped support broader international development and menu updates while keeping ribs at the center of the offer.

As of December 2025, Tony Roma’s operates a smaller U.S. footprint than at its peak but maintains a meaningful international presence, particularly in Asia, the Middle East, and parts of Latin America, through a mix of franchised and licensed restaurants. The overall system has been rationalized from a larger base of hundreds of locations down to several dozen globally, concentrating the brand in markets and trade areas where performance and consumer recognition remain strongest. Over roughly the last five years, the company has focused on refreshing existing restaurants, upgrading bar and dining areas, and adapting menus to local tastes, while staying anchored in ribs, burgers, and grilled items as core traffic drivers.

Recent years have seen Tony Roma’s prioritize selective international growth and redevelopment of existing markets over broad new-unit expansion in the United States. New openings have generally clustered in countries and cities where the name still carries strong awareness and where experienced franchise operators lead site selection, design, and development. For landlords, brokers, and developers, this approach means the brand is most likely to appear in established dining nodes and tourist-oriented districts where a recognizable, full-service restaurant can complement quick-service and fast-casual tenants and help drive evening and weekend visits.

Operationally, the company has spent the last several years refining the portfolio, supporting international franchise partners, and investing in brand refresh initiatives instead of pursuing aggressive domestic unit growth. This measured posture often results in longer decision timelines but can also signal a focus on durable, higher-conviction sites with franchisees who plan to hold and operate locations over a multiyear horizon. In practice, Tony Roma’s tends to be most relevant for owners and developers working with seasoned restaurant operators, mixed-use or tourism-focused projects, and international portfolios where the brand still resonates with local diners and visitors.