Tony Roma’s has named interim CEO Mohaimina Haque as its permanent chief executive. She’ll be responsible for rejuvenating the 52-year-old casual-dining rib chain after years of sales and unit count declines.
Haque became involved with the brand as its outside general counsel in 2021 and was named interim CEO last June. She is the chain’s first female CEO, and becomes one of just a handful of female chain restaurant CEOs today.
Haque is also the founder and principal attorney of the Washington, D.C.-based Law Office of Mohaimina Haque PLLC, which specializes in corporate, immigration and franchise law.
As interim CEO, she worked to modernize Tony Roma’s for a younger audience and also focused on its environmental, social and corporate governance guidelines. In a press release, the company called her appointment as CEO a “new chapter” for the brand.
"I’m truly honored to lead Tony Roma's through this exciting chapter as we’ve already made incredible strides,” Haque said in a statement. “I’m eager to continue building on this momentum, reinvigorating the passion and innovation that has made Tony Roma’s a household name for generations.”
Tony Roma’s was founded in 1972 in Miami by restaurateur Tony Roma and became known for its baby back ribs. It soon began franchising and grew quickly throughout the ’70s and ’80s both domestically and internationally, reaching more than 160 U.S. locations in the early 2000s. But it has been shrinking ever since and finished 2023 with just 10 U.S. restaurants, plus 46 overseas, according to Technomic. Total sales were $95.5 million, a 2% decline from the prior year, per Technomic.
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