Romacorp Inc., which
does business as Tony Roma's, is an American
casual dining
Restaurants fall into several industry classifications, based upon menu style, preparation methods and pricing, as well as the means by which the food is served to the customer. This article mainly describes the situation in the US, while categor ...
chain restaurant specializing in
baby back ribs. The first location was established by the founder, Tony Roma, in 1972 in
North Miami, Florida
North Miami is a suburban city located in northeast Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States, about north of Miami. The city lies on Biscayne Bay and hosts the Biscayne Bay Campus of Florida International University. Originally the "Town of A ...
.
Clint Murchison Jr. purchased a majority stake in the restaurant in 1976, and he and Roma established the jointly owned Roma Corporation.
The first international location opened in 1979 in
Tokyo
Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...
, followed by an international expansion with both company-owned stores and
franchises
Franchise may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Media franchise, a collection of related creative works, such as films, video games, books, etc., particularly in North American usage
* "Franchise" (short story), a 1955 short story ...
.
As of 2020, there are over 115 locations
on six continents.
History
1972−1999
Tony Roma, the driving force and namesake behind the casual dining eatery, opened the first Tony Roma's in
North Miami, Florida, on January 20, 1972. Prior to opening his self-named restaurant, Tony Roma was the food and beverage specialist for the
Playboy Club
The Playboy Club was initially a chain of nightclubs and resorts owned and operated by Playboy Enterprises. The first Playboy Club opened in Chicago in 1960. Each club generally featured a Living Room, a Playmate Bar, a Dining Room, and a Club ...
.
Originally a steak and burger restaurant, one weekend, chef David Smith grilled baby back ribs and served them with Tony Roma's BBQ sauce. The ribs proved to be popular, and were added to the permanent menu, and quickly became what Tony Roma's was known for. Tony Roma's menu further expanded to include seafood, pasta, chicken, and sandwiches.
[Tony Roma, 78 – Began Chain of Rib Restaurants – NYTimes.com](_blank)
Four years later, in 1976,
Clint Murchison Jr., the owner of the
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. T ...
, was in Miami for
Super Bowl X. Murchison purchased the majority stake in the restaurant, going on to become the driving force behind Tony Roma's international expansion. Murchison and Roma established Roma Corporation, a jointly-owned company that oversaw the restaurants and sold franchises.
In 1979, the first international location opened in
Tokyo
Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...
, Japan, and by 1983; there were 30 Tony Roma's restaurants around the world. During the mid-1980s, Roma Corp's growth plan included opening more
franchises
Franchise may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Media franchise, a collection of related creative works, such as films, video games, books, etc., particularly in North American usage
* "Franchise" (short story), a 1955 short story ...
, rather than company-owned stores.
Murchison sold his shares in Roma Corp to his children in 1984, and Kenneth Reimer, a Murchison business associate, took over as CEO of Roma. Tony Roma himself also sold his interest in the company to the Murchison children.
2000–present
Under Reimer, Tony Roma's expanded, growing the menu, opening more locations, and remodeling older restaurants for a more modern feel. In 2002, Frank Steed took over as CEO and president of Roma Corp and David Grail became head of menu development. Steed signed agreements to open an additional 60 Tony Roma's across South America, Europe, and the Middle East.
In 2001, original head chef David Smith retired and Tony Roma's first executive chef, Bob Gallagher, came on board in 2006.
In 2003, Tony Roma died in
Hemet, California
Hemet is a city in the San Jacinto Valley in Riverside County, California, United States. It covers a total area of , about half of the valley, which it shares with the neighboring city of San Jacinto, California, San Jacinto. The population w ...
, at the age of 78.
As of 2006, there were 1,725 employees.
On March 3, 2015, Tony Roma's launched TR Fire Grill in
Orlando, Florida
Orlando ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Orange County, Florida, United States. The city proper had a population of 307,573 at the 2020 census, making it the fourth-most populous city in Florida behind Jacksonville, Florida, Jacksonville ...
, with more locations planned for the following months.
In June 2023, it named Mohaimina “Mina” Haque as CEO. Haque, an attorney with a particular emphasis in franchise law, became the first female CEO in Tony Roma's history.
Menu and retail products
When the first Tony Roma's opened in the 1970s, the restaurant was known for its burger and steaks until chef David Smith cooked up some
baby back ribs and they became popular.
Today the menu includes ribs, burgers, and steaks, as well as chicken and seafood dishes, appetizers, vegetarian dishes, desserts, and a cocktail list. Many international locations provide additional options that conform to local customs. Tony Roma's menu is routinely updated with specials, new chef-created dishes, and seasonal cuisines. In 2015, Roma Corp's introduced a new concept, TR Fire Grill & Lounge, in
Orlando, Florida
Orlando ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Orange County, Florida, United States. The city proper had a population of 307,573 at the 2020 census, making it the fourth-most populous city in Florida behind Jacksonville, Florida, Jacksonville ...
, featuring modern American cuisine and modern cocktails.
A number of entrees from the Tony Roma's menu are available as prepackaged frozen meals, sold in supermarkets. The entrees are manufactured and distributed by Rupari Food Services. Tony Roma's original
barbecue sauce is also available in supermarkets.
Locations

As of 2020, the franchise has over 100 locations
["Locations"](_blank)
Tony Roma's on six continents.
In 1976, Tony Roma's was one of the first US chain restaurants to expand into the international market, opening their first store in
Japan
Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
. During the late 20th and early 21st centuries, Tony Roma's expanded into
Europe
Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...
,
South America
South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a considerably smaller portion in the Northern Hemisphere. It can also be described as the southern Subregion#Americas, subregion o ...
,
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
and
Asia
Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...
. Tony Roma's has also expanded to the
Middle East
The Middle East (term originally coined in English language) is a geopolitical region encompassing the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant, Turkey, Egypt, Iran, and Iraq.
The term came into widespread usage by the United Kingdom and western Eur ...
, including the
UAE
The United Arab Emirates (UAE), or simply the Emirates, is a country in West Asia, in the Middle East, at the eastern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is a federal elective monarchy made up of seven emirates, with Abu Dhabi serving as i ...
. As of 2015, Tony Roma's had around 120 international stores spread across five continents, with 20 restaurants in the United States.
The franchise introduced a brand makeover in 2016 with a new store model.
["Openings: New barbecue restaurant to debut at Hilton near PBI in West Palm"](_blank)
Palm Beach Post, Liza Balmaseda, January 9, 2018.
As of 2016, the only location near New York City was inside
Newark Liberty International Airport
Newark Liberty International Airport is a major international airport serving the New York metropolitan area. The airport straddles the boundary between the cities of Newark, New Jersey, Newark in Essex County, New Jersey, Essex County and E ...
, after the
Commack branch closed as part of a downsizing. There also remained a location in
Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls is a group of three waterfalls at the southern end of Niagara Gorge, spanning the Canada–United States border, border between the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Ontario in Canada and the state of New York (s ...
at the time. The closure left 20 locations in the United States, with most remaining restaurants international.
[""](_blank)
Melissa Cart, October 18, 2016, ''Newsday
''Newsday'' is a daily newspaper in the United States primarily serving Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long Island, although it is also sold throughout the New York metropolitan area. The slogan of the newspaper is "Newsday, Your Eye on LI" ...
'' In 2018, the company opened a location in South Palm Beach, Florida, its first US franchise in six years and its first new US restaurant since 2014.
As of 2020, there are two locations in Southern California. There is one near the SouthBay Pavilion in
Carson, California
Carson is a city in the South Bay (Los Angeles County), South Bay and the Los Angeles Harbor Region, Harbor regions of Los Angeles County, California, located south of downtown Los Angeles and approximately away from Los Angeles International ...
, and another in
Anaheim, California
Anaheim ( ) is a city in northern Orange County, California, United States, part of the Greater Los Angeles area. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orang ...
, near the
Disneyland Resort
The Disneyland Resort is an entertainment resort in Anaheim, California, United States. It is owned and operated by the Walt Disney Company through its Disney Experiences, Experiences division and is home to two theme parks (Disneyland and Dis ...
.
Tony Roma's is consistently opening new restaurants in emerging markets.
In 2015, Tony Roma's became one of the first US-based restaurants to open a store in
Myanmar
Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest Southeast Asia. It is the largest country by area in Mainland Southeast Asia and has ...
.
As of 2018, Tony Roma's had "new licensing deals in the United States, Europe, Mexico, Australia and
New Zealand
New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
" and "new development agreements in
Spain
Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
,
Nicaragua
Nicaragua, officially the Republic of Nicaragua, is the geographically largest Sovereign state, country in Central America, comprising . With a population of 7,142,529 as of 2024, it is the third-most populous country in Central America aft ...
and
Bolivia
Bolivia, officially the Plurinational State of Bolivia, is a landlocked country located in central South America. The country features diverse geography, including vast Amazonian plains, tropical lowlands, mountains, the Gran Chaco Province, w ...
."
Countries and territories with restaurants
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See also
*
List of barbecue restaurants
References
{{Reflist, 30em
External links
Corporate (U.S) websiteFranchise opportunity website
Restaurant chains in the United States
Barbecue restaurants in the United States
Restaurants in Florida
American companies established in 1972
Restaurants established in 1972
1972 establishments in Florida
Restaurant chains in Malaysia
Restaurant franchises
Companies based in Orlando, Florida