Ribs and Robots: How Tony Roma's Is Modernizing a 50-Year-Old Brand

Tony Roma’s longtime American brand is being reshaped by CEO Mohamina Haq, a former mergers‑and‑acquisitions attorney who took the helm without prior restaurant experience. Haq leveraged his legal‑dealmaking mindset to dissect the industry’s razor‑thin margins and to re‑engineer the franchise model for a post‑pandemic world. By treating each market as a distinct profit center, the company moved away from a one‑size‑fits‑all approach, allowing local operators to choose suppliers and set prices that reflect regional cost pressures. This strategic pivot aims to protect franchise health while sustaining brand equity.

The franchise strategy now hinges on two non‑negotiable traits: deep capital reserves and seasoned operational expertise. Haq insists that franchisees must be financially robust enough to absorb volatile labor and commodity costs, especially rising beef prices, and flexible enough to adapt menu offerings while preserving the core “hero” items—ribs and onion loaf—that define the Tony Roma’s experience worldwide. With over 42 units in 22 countries, the brand tailors menus to local tastes yet maintains consistent quality, turning each location into a profitable, culturally resonant outpost.

Technology adoption is the next growth engine. Pilot programs in Durham, North Carolina, and Carson, California, introduced robot runners that deliver trays, sing birthday songs, and free human servers to focus on personalized service and tip generation. Simultaneously, AI tools are being demonstrated across the remote workforce to boost productivity without replacing staff. Haq’s philosophy treats AI and robotics as complementary efficiency tools, offering free demos to franchise partners and scaling only after data validates cost benefits. The roadmap envisions broader AI‑driven analytics and robotic support across new international openings.