Tony Roma’s closing, but ribs will live on

The last Tony Roma’s in Hawaii is closing Wednesday, but fans of its fall-off-the-bone baby back ribs will be able to get the restaurant’s signature dishes not far away, at TR Fire Grill Waikiki, when that restaurant reopens in December.

Fire Grill is a sister restaurant, owned by WDI International, which operates the Tony Roma’s franchise, launched in Waikiki 48 years ago. The franchise grew to four locations on Oahu and Maui, but only the Waikiki location remains.

The restaurant was still sustainable, despite pandemic restrictions on dining, but its lease was about to expire and WDI did not want to pass higher rent costs on to customers, said Chihiro Kitagawa, a spokeswoman for WDI, said Monday.

Kitagawa said WDI Director Shige Kikuchi “wanted his customers to know they can still have their favorite dishes” from Tony Roma’s at Fire Grill.

Fire Grill, in the Hilton Garden Inn, is temporarily closed due to the pandemic but is scheduled to reopen in December.

Opened in 2016, Fire Grill specializes in smoked prime rib — served under a dome that contains the smoke until the cover is lifted — steaks and lunch deals, Kitagawa said.