By Mina Haque, CEO, Tony Roma’s, Carlos White, Franchise Attorney, Founder of The Impactor and the first Franchise Impactor Ambassador in the U.S., & Calvin Golden, Co-founder of ScaleWise Franchise
At its peak, legacy restaurant franchise Tony Roma’s operated 200+ domestic units, with international locations in more than 30 countries. Over the past 20 years, however, the brand prioritized international expansion. Now, Tony Roma’s is poised for a major U.S. expansion, focusing on technology to modernize its operating model.
Tony Roma’s has five decades of operations, strong name recognition, a beloved menu, a loyal customer following, and an international platform. We are uniquely combining our established brand equity and technology strategies to drive U.S. growth and position our U.S. franchisees for success.
Leveraging a Tech Strategy to Drive Expansion
The timing is perfect for Tony Roma’s to modernize – and expand – the brand, and leveraging technology is a vital part of this. We are relying on AI, data, and automation tools that have recently become more accessible and affordable for mid-sized franchise brands. Plus, we understand that, in the restaurant franchise space, technology only matters when it shows up on the P&L. Therefore, we are linking technologies to specific, measurable operational outcomes. This includes:
- Site selection. We are leveraging AI-driven geospatial analytics that combine trade-area demographics, foot traffic patterns, co-tenant data, and cannibalization risk. This empowers our franchise system to choose locations based more on data – and less on unverifiable instincts.
- Systems integration. Often, brands operate with disconnected systems, which make critical tasks more difficult, costly, and inefficient. At Tony Roma’s, every unit operates on a unified data layer, with one POS architecture, one inventory platform, one labor system, and one source of truth. Integrated systems streamline every aspect of franchise operations, including inventory and scheduling. Importantly, by centralizing data, franchisees can make more informed business decisions to drive ongoing growth and success.
- Back-of-house operations. We use predictive maintenance sensors to monitor ovens, walk-ins, fryers, and HVAC for early signs of failure. This improves our franchisees’ unit economics.
- Guest experiences. Tech is improving personalization at scale, elevating guests’ experiences. Returning guests get recommendations based on their order history and preferences. Loyalty members get offers calibrated to their behavior. This hyper-personalization improves key metrics like customer satisfaction, loyalty, and retention.
- Inventory and prep. With AI-driven forecasting, Tony Roma’s can better predict demand, and more precise ordering has a positive impact on reducing food cost and enhancing our guest experience. Over-prep is waste; under-prep is a walkout. Tech solutions help calibrate accordingly.
- Employee satisfaction and retention. Given the high turnover associated with the restaurant industry, Tony Roma’s deploys back-of-the-house robotics selectively, to automate tedious, repetitive tasks and reduce employee attrition. Automation improves consistency, allows employees to focus on delivering exceptional guest experiences, and boosts employee satisfaction and retention.
Giving Operators What They Need
Technology is just part of Tony Roma’s growth strategy. The brand is also improving the overall franchise system, making deliberate structural changes to attract and retain franchisees. This includes prioritizing:
- Operator preference. Multi-unit franchisees want to work with category leaders with long track records and proven systems – like Tony Roma’s. We have invested in the franchisee support infrastructure: training that covers systems, technology, recipes, and operations; marketing support that includes creative and media deployment; and a team of franchise experts focused on franchisee profitability and growth.
- Real estate. The retail landscape has evolved significantly in recent years. Second-generation spaces are available in trade areas that were locked down a decade ago, and landlords are more flexible on terms than they have been previously. Tony Roma’s is reducing its footprint, moving to a smaller, more flexible restaurant prototype. The new model is more cost-efficient to build, faster to ramp, and better suited to endcaps, conversions, and non-traditional venues like hotels. It also better accommodates and incorporate off-premise revenue channels.
- Franchise experts. Expanding a franchise brand requires specific skill sets. Tony Roma’s recognizes this, and has galvanized the top franchise experts to help guide this expansion. This includes engaging Calvin Golden, who helped Wingstop developed their foundational franchise program and sell the first 12 Wingstop Restaurants. Brand leadership is working collaboratively with experts in legal, structural, and operational design, as well as technology and growth strategy. Each expert brings deep, specific expertise to help build and scale Tony Roma’s franchise system. Drawing on experience working with other successful restaurant franchise brands, these experts are implementing best practices to drive Tony Roma’s U.S. expansion.
Attracting a New Generation of Franchisees
Tony Roma’s understands that today’s entrepreneurs are looking for a unique combination: the stability of established brands combined with the efficiency of a modern operating model. Tony Roma’s is deliberately positioning in the intersection.
Tony Roma’s offers 50+ years of brand equity, combined with an integrated technology stack, a smaller and more capital-efficient footprint, a detailed playbook outlining the brand’s proven systems and infrastructure, and a strong advisory team with direct experience building successful franchise systems.
This will be a remarkable turnaround story, as Tony Roma’s rebuilds its operating model for the next decade. As we expand in the U.S., we are being deliberate about how we grow – and who we bring into the fold. We are looking for motivated multi-unit operators who understand casual dining, have the capital and operational capacity to develop multiple locations, and see the lucrative opportunities that can result from pairing a proven brand with a modernized system. We invite entrepreneurs looking for casual dining franchise opportunities to visit tonyromas.com/franchise to learn more and get in touch.
Mina Haque is the CEO of Tony Roma’s and a practicing attorney. She is the first woman to lead the brand and is spearheading its U.S. expansion and technology-driven modernization. Franchise opportunities are available at tonyromas.com/franchise.
Carlos White is a Franchise Attorney and Founder of The Impactor.
Calvin Golden is Co-founder of ScaleWise Franchise.