Tony Roma's Closes at Fremont Casino | Ryan Rose

May 8, 2026 · Ryan Rose, Real Broker LLC

Tony Roma's, the famous rib restaurant that fed millions of visitors and locals inside the Fremont Hotel and Casino, served its last rack of baby back ribs on May 9, 2026. After 36 years in the same downtown Las Vegas spot, the doors are now closed for good. This was the last Tony Roma's in the entire state of Nevada, and it was once called the most profitable Tony Roma's location in the world.

If you have ever walked through the Fremont Casino on a Friday night, you probably smelled those ribs before you even saw the restaurant. The line sometimes stretched past the slot machines. Tourists loved it. Locals made it a tradition. And now, that chapter is over. Boyd Gaming, the company that owns the Fremont Casino, confirmed the closure and announced a new restaurant concept will open in the same space in September 2026.

For a lot of people, this is not just about losing a restaurant. It is about losing a piece of what made downtown Las Vegas feel like downtown Las Vegas.

Fremont Street has been the heart of downtown Las Vegas for decades. Photo via Unsplash.

What Happened

Boyd Gaming, the Las Vegas-based casino operator that has run the Fremont Hotel and Casino since 1985, confirmed that Tony Roma's would close on May 9, 2026. The news was first reported by Vital Vegas, a well-known Las Vegas industry blog run by Scott Roeben. According to the report, Boyd Gaming is planning to bring in a new dining concept to replace Tony Roma's, with a target opening date of September 2026. The company has not yet announced what that new concept will be.

The Fremont Casino location was the only remaining Tony Roma's in Nevada. With this closure, just six Tony Roma's restaurants remain open in the entire United States. Those locations are in Carson, California; Anaheim, California; Dubuque, Iowa; Great Falls, Montana; Durham, North Carolina; and Kimball, Tennessee. The chain still operates more than 100 locations internationally, mostly in Asia, Europe, and Latin America. But its footprint in America has shrunk dramatically from its peak.

Tony Roma's first opened at the Fremont Casino around 1990. Over the following three and a half decades, it earned a reputation as one of the busiest and most successful restaurants on Fremont Street. It was frequently cited as the single most profitable location in the entire Tony Roma's system worldwide. That is a remarkable claim for a restaurant tucked inside a downtown casino, especially when you consider the chain once had hundreds of locations across the globe.

The closure comes during a period of significant change for downtown Las Vegas dining. Boyd Gaming has been investing heavily in upgrading its properties. The Fremont Casino itself went through a $50 million expansion and renovation that included a new food hall with restaurants like CRAFTkitchen, Tomo Noodles, Steak 'n Shake, Huey Magoo's, Roli Roti, and Dunkin'. That food hall opened in January 2023 and signaled a shift toward more casual, fast-service dining options at the property. The Tony Roma's closure fits into that broader strategy of refreshing and modernizing the dining lineup.

Baby back ribs were the signature dish at Tony Roma's for more than five decades. Photo via Unsplash.

Why It Matters to Las Vegas Residents

Losing Tony Roma's might seem like a small thing to someone who has never eaten there. But for people who live in the Las Vegas Valley, it hits differently. This was one of those rare places that both tourists and locals could agree on. It was affordable enough for a regular dinner out, good enough to take out-of-town guests, and familiar enough to feel like home.

Downtown Las Vegas has changed a lot over the past 10 years. The Fremont East district has boomed with new bars, restaurants, and entertainment options. Container Park, the Arts District, and the growing number of independent restaurants have turned downtown into one of the most exciting parts of the city for food. But that growth has also meant the loss of some longtime favorites. When a restaurant like Tony Roma's closes after nearly four decades, it reminds people that progress does not always mean holding onto the things you love.

For homeowners and renters in the downtown corridor, this change matters for another reason. The types of restaurants and businesses that operate in a neighborhood say something about the direction that neighborhood is heading. Boyd Gaming's decision to invest in new dining concepts at the Fremont suggests the company believes downtown still has room to grow and attract new visitors. That is generally a positive signal for property values and neighborhood desirability in areas like the 18b Arts District, Fremont East, and the surrounding residential pockets.

At the same time, the closure is a reminder that the restaurant industry in Las Vegas is brutal. Rising food costs, labor challenges, and changing consumer tastes have hit operators hard in the past few years. Restaurants that seemed untouchable, places that survived recessions and a global pandemic, are finding that the economics just do not work anymore. If the most profitable Tony Roma's in the world cannot stay open, it tells you something about how tough the current environment is for sit-down dining.

Families who used Tony Roma's as a go-to dinner spot now need to find a new regular place. And for visitors who made it a tradition every time they came to Las Vegas, the next trip will feel a little different. Those personal connections to a restaurant are hard to replace, no matter what opens in the same space.

Background and History

Tony Roma, the man behind the name, opened the first Tony Roma's restaurant on January 20, 1972, in North Miami, Florida. Before getting into the restaurant business, Tony Roma worked as the food and beverage specialist for the Playboy Club. His original restaurant was a straightforward steak and burger spot. The ribs came later, almost by accident.

The story goes that one weekend, chef David Smith decided to grill some baby back ribs and serve them with the house barbecue sauce. Customers went wild for them. The ribs quickly became the main attraction, and Tony Roma's built its entire brand around them. The tagline was simple and effective: "Famous for Ribs."

In 1976, Clint Murchison Jr., a Texas billionaire and the original owner of the Dallas Cowboys, purchased a majority stake in the company. He and Roma formed the Roma Corporation and began expanding aggressively. The first international location opened in Tokyo in 1979. By the 1980s and 1990s, Tony Roma's was one of the best-known casual dining chains in the world, with locations on six continents.

Tony Roma's was known for its classic American restaurant atmosphere. Photo via Unsplash.

The Las Vegas location opened inside the Fremont Hotel and Casino around 1990. Boyd Gaming had taken over operations of the Fremont in 1985, and adding Tony Roma's was part of the casino's dining strategy. The location thrived from the start. Its position on Fremont Street meant it had a constant stream of foot traffic from casino visitors, convention-goers, and tourists exploring downtown. Over the years, it became one of the highest-grossing restaurants in the entire chain, reportedly earning the title of most profitable Tony Roma's in the world.

But the chain's domestic presence has been shrinking for years. Changing tastes, competition from newer casual dining concepts, and the rise of fast-casual restaurants all took a toll. What was once a chain with locations across America is now down to just six U.S. restaurants. The international business has held up better, with over 100 locations still operating globally, but the American chapter of Tony Roma's is clearly winding down.

What Happens Next

Boyd Gaming has confirmed that a new restaurant concept will open in the Tony Roma's space in September 2026. The company has not revealed what that concept will be. Given Boyd Gaming's recent track record at the Fremont, it could range from another food hall addition to a partnership with an established restaurant brand.

During their first-quarter 2026 earnings call, Boyd Gaming leadership mentioned that the company has additional restaurant concepts in development at multiple properties, including the Fremont, Aliante, and Sam's Town. This suggests the Tony Roma's replacement is part of a larger dining strategy across the company's Las Vegas-area casinos, not just a one-off decision.

The timeline is worth watching. The space will be closed for roughly four months between the May 9 closure and the planned September opening. That suggests Boyd Gaming is doing more than just swapping out a sign. There will likely be a significant renovation of the space to accommodate whatever new concept is coming in.

For the broader Tony Roma's chain, the Fremont closure is another step in a long decline within the American market. The company is still owned by Romacorp, Inc., which was acquired by Equity Investors of New England. The international business continues, but the U.S. story is one of contraction. Whether the six remaining American locations can survive long-term remains to be seen.

The September opening at the Fremont will be one to watch. It could tell us a lot about the direction Boyd Gaming sees for downtown Las Vegas dining, and what kinds of restaurants they think will attract the next generation of visitors and locals to Fremont Street.

Downtown Las Vegas continues to evolve, and restaurant changes are part of that transformation. Photo via Unsplash.

Ryan's Take

I have been selling homes in the Las Vegas Valley for years, and one thing I have learned is that the health of a neighborhood's dining and retail scene tells you a lot about the health of the neighborhood itself. When a long-running business like Tony Roma's closes, the first reaction is usually sadness. People remember birthday dinners, date nights, and post-show meals there. That is real, and those feelings are valid.

But here is the other side of it. Boyd Gaming is not walking away from this space. They are investing in a replacement concept, and they are doing it at a property where they already spent $50 million on upgrades in recent years. That tells me they still believe in downtown. They still see value in putting good restaurants inside the Fremont Casino. And for anyone who owns property downtown or is thinking about buying there, that is a positive sign.

Downtown Las Vegas has come a long way. Ten years ago, a restaurant closure like this might have felt like a warning sign. Today, it feels more like a transition. The neighborhood is strong enough and attractive enough that operators are confident they can bring in something new and make it work. The demand is there. The foot traffic is there. The investment is there.

I will be curious to see what opens in September. If Boyd Gaming brings in a concept that draws a younger crowd or fills a gap in downtown's dining options, it could be great for the area. Change is never easy, but sometimes it is exactly what a neighborhood needs to keep moving forward.

What You Can Do

If you are a fan of Tony Roma's and you did not get a chance to visit before the May 9 closure, the nearest remaining locations are in Carson, California, and Anaheim, California. Both are within driving distance of Las Vegas, though it is a trek. You can check the full list of remaining locations at tonyromas.com.

If you are curious about what is going on with downtown Las Vegas dining, keep an eye on Boyd Gaming's announcements over the summer. The new concept at the Fremont should be revealed in the coming weeks, and the September opening will give downtown another reason to visit.

For anyone who wants to explore what downtown Las Vegas has to offer right now, there is no shortage of great options. The Fremont Casino's food hall has several solid choices. The Fremont East district is packed with independent restaurants and bars. And the Arts District continues to add new spots worth checking out.

If this closure has you thinking about what is happening with property values in downtown Las Vegas, or if you are wondering whether downtown is a good place to buy or invest, I am happy to talk through the numbers. The area has seen meaningful appreciation in recent years, and the ongoing investment from companies like Boyd Gaming is a big part of why.