TONY Roma’s Malaysia. The Star

Tasty: Low (left) and Adam holding a plate of Tony Roma’s Beef Ribs and the newly introduced Lamb Ribs, which earned Tony Roma’s Malaysia the Brand Innovation Award.

TONY Roma’s Malaysia has added another feather to its cap by clinching Tony Roma’s Global Brand Innovation Award, recently.

Awarded by Romacorp, the Tony Roma’s franchisor in Orlando in the US, the award was given in recognition of the restaurant’s new item on its menu — Lamb Ribs.

The win is even more noteworthy as the dish was a Malaysian innovation, created by the local R&D team and will be adopted across Tony Roma’s outlets worldwide.

The award was presented by franchise owner Revenue Valley chief operating officer Dickson Low to Tony Roma’s Malaysia operations manager Muhammad Adam Mah, who also headed the Malaysian R&D team that created the dish, at the newly refurbished Tony Roma’s outlet in Sunway Pyramid.

While the Beef Ribs are the prime attraction at Tony Roma’s and were still a bestseller, the management felt that a large segment of the Malaysian public were left out due to their religious sensibilities.

The introduction of the Lamb Ribs serves to cater to this market, as well as provide an alternative option for diners who prefer lamb to beef and ensure that everyone can enjoy a fantastic meal at the restaurant.

The Lamb Ribs were introduced to Tony Roma’s customers through the Best Ribs Election Showdown campaign held recently, where diners were required to vote for their favourite Ribs among Tony Roma’s signature Bountiful Beef Ribs, Beef Short Ribs and the new Lamb Ribs.

Although the Bountiful Beef Ribs emerged the eventual winner, the Lamb Ribs came in a close second, with just 3% less votes than the winner.

Winning dish: A plate of Tony Roma’s Lamb Ribs which won the Brand Innovation Award trophy.

“The results of the Best Ribs Election Showdown were an eye-opener,” said Low.

“While we know that the Bountiful Beef Ribs are still Tony Roma’s bestseller, we have also extended Tony Roma’s market through the introduction of the Lamb Ribs.

“Developing the Lamb Ribs was a painstaking process; from conception to perfecting the seasoning so that it was palatable to Malaysians of all races.

“We wanted to make sure the Lamb Ribs would not just be another addition to the menu, but a dish that could stand up to scrutiny from our loyal diners,” said Adam, who has been involved in the F&B industry for more than 25 years.

The Brand Innovation Award is the latest achievement in the continued success story of Tony Roma’s Malaysia, following a win for Best Operator of the Year in 2008.

“Winning Tony Roma’s Brand Innovation Award has shown us that we are on the right track,” said Low.

“We have a hardworking and dependable team here at Tony Roma’s Malaysia, who are constantly striving to provide the best possible dining experience for our customers through a commitment to product and service innovation, food quality and first-rate service,” he said.