Tony Roma's

Ribs, steaks, seafood
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2025 Franchise 500 Rank
N/R Ranked #404 last year
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Initial investment
$1.8M - $2.9M
Units as of 2024
57 Decrease 45% over 3 years

Tony Roma's may be a recognized name in upscale casual dining. Tony Roma’s offers a range of popular dishes, building on the popularity of its baby back ribs with top-secret BBQ sauce, the specialty that initially caught the public's imagination. So popular was the BBQ sauce that Tony Roma's may be known internationally for it.

Tony Roma’s has an interesting business history, starting with a single restaurant in Miami, Florida, in 1972 and opening its first international franchise in Tokyo in 1979. The company is looking to open new franchises nationwide with ten-year renewable contracts.

Since beginning to franchise, Tony Roma’s has opened several locations in the United States and Canada to go along with numerous international locations.

Why You May Want To Start a Tony Roma's Franchise

Tony Roma's core values include great food, friendly service, and comfortable, family-friendly dining. The chain has designed its restaurants with the customer in mind. As such, they offer plenty of outdoor seating, numerous TV screens for sports fans, and spacious bars that may serve a range of draft beers. 

Because of this, Tony Roma's prefers franchisees who have experience in the restaurant or hospitality sectors. It wants its franchisees to have a passion for food and the Tony Roma's brand. Potential franchisees should also be good team leaders and have excellent customer service skills.

However, Tony Roma's usually allows for absentee ownership. So, if you don't have the qualifications that the company is looking for in a restaurant manager or hands-on owner/operator, you may be able to open a Tony Roma’s franchise and hire a manager who does.

What Might Make a Tony Roma's Franchise a Good Choice?

Because of its reputation and reach, loyal customers may know what to expect when they walk into a Tony Roma's restaurant. Franchisees are responsible for maintaining the high standards that the customer and Tony Roma's brand expect. Should a franchisee be a hands-on owner, they will manage the day-to-day operations of a busy restaurant. Even an absentee owner should expect to remain updated on their location's daily goings-on.

To be part of the Tony Roma's team, you should make sure you're financially ready for an initial investment made up of a franchise fee and other startup costs. In addition, you should prepare yourself for ongoing fees that will include advertising, royalty, and potential renewal fees. Franchisees will also need to meet the company's set net worth and liquid capital requirements.

How To Open a Tony Roma's Franchise

The restaurant business is highly competitive. One of the advantages of franchising under a well-known name is the potential edge over the competition. Even so, you should look carefully at other restaurants in your area and make sure that you're confident that there is room for a Tony Roma's franchise in your area.

Before making any financial commitment or signing an agreement, you must establish if this is the right opportunity for you. As part of your due diligence, you may want to speak to existing franchisees and ask the Tony Roma's franchising team questions. For instance, who are your food purveyors, what kind of training should you put your employees through, and how do you implement new, approved menu items?

If awarded a franchise, Tony Roma’s will typically support you throughout the process.

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Company Overview

About Tony Roma's

Industry Food
Related Categories Steakhouses, Miscellaneous Full-Service Restaurants, Food: Full-Service Restaurants
Founded 1972
Parent Company Romacorp Inc.
Leadership Mohaimina Haque, CEO
Corporate Address 3662 Avalon Park E. Blvd.
Orlando, FL 32828
Social Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube

Business Overview

Franchising Since 1979 (46 years)
# of employees at HQ 7
Where seeking

This company is offering new franchises worldwide.

This company is offering new franchises in the following US states: Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Montana, North Carolina, New Mexico, Nevada, Tennessee

# of Units 57 (as of 2024)

Information for Franchisees

Here's what you need to know if you're interested in opening a Tony Roma's franchise.

Financial Requirements & Ongoing Fees

Here's what you can expect to spend to start the business and what ongoing fees the franchisor charges throughout the life of the business.

Initial Franchise Fee Information Circle
$35,000
Initial Investment Information Circle
$1,773,500 - $2,911,000
Net Worth Requirement Information Circle
$1,000,000
Cash Requirement Information Circle
$500,000
Royalty Fee Information Circle
4%
Ad Royalty Fee Information Circle
2%
Term of Agreement Information Circle
10 years
Is franchise term renewable? Yes
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Training & Support Offered

Franchisors offer initial training programs and a variety of ongoing support options to help franchisees run their businesses.

On-The-Job Training 472 hours
Classroom Training 21 hours

Operations

Additional details about running this franchise.

Is absentee ownership allowed? No
Can this franchise be run from home/mobile unit? Information Circle
No
Can this franchise be run part time? Information Circle
No
# of employees required to run 60
Are exclusive territories available? Information Circle
Yes
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Franchise 500 Ranking History

Compare where Tony Roma's landed on this year's Franchise 500 Ranking versus previous years.

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Disclaimer
The information on this page is not intended as an endorsement or recommendation of any particular franchise or business opportunity by Entrepreneur Media. Our listings and rankings are solely research tools you can use to compare opportunities. Entrepreneur stresses that you should always conduct your own independent investigation before investing in a franchise or business opportunity. That should include reviewing the company's legal documents, consulting with an attorney and an accountant, and talking to former and current franchisees/licensees/dealers.
Updated: December 12th, 2022