Bloomberg Talks Tony Roma's CEO Talks American Consumers
Dec 24, 2025
Mina Haque, CEO of Tony Roma's, dives into the current challenges facing American consumers, revealing how low confidence affects dining habits. She highlights customer frustrations with prices and discusses the effectiveness of promotions in driving demand. Mina shares insights on rising beef costs and thin margins, while emphasizing the importance of tech efficiency and AI in operations. She also outlines expansion strategies for locations in Guam, Calgary, and the Asia Pacific, all while modernizing the brand without losing its identity.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Perception Versus Sales Reality
- Consumers express price frustration but still visit Tony Roma's.
- Mina Haque sees system-wide sales rising over the past four years despite perceptions.
Use Targeted Promos To Drive Traffic
- Run targeted promotions to boost demand at participating units.
- Offer limited-time deals and let franchisees opt in to drive sharp sales increases.
Cost Pressure Spurs Supply Strategy
- Tony Roma's resists immediate price increases despite rising beef costs.
- The chain uses macro pressures to reassess supply diversity and unit microeconomics.