Almost 30 years ago, casual dining restaurant chain Tony Roma’s began an annual artist contest among elementary schools across the island. Interested pupils could participate by drawing their own creative rendition of Tony Roma’s famous menu items. Prizes included computers and encyclopedia sets as well as seeing their work hung upon the restaurant’s walls.
“Since the beginning, Tony Roma’s has always been a family-friendly restaurant,” says Lawrence Chun, director of operations for Tony Roma’s. “The contest was a great way to bring those values to life and integrate the community with the restaurant.”
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- Kids can’t get enough of Tony Roma’s Chicken Tenders ($6.99)
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- Beth Tamayose’s entry for Tony Roma’s art contest conducted among local elementary schools nearly 30 years ago
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- Dale Tamayose’s entry proves artistic talent runs in the family
For the past few months, Tony Roma’s has attempted to find and reconnect with past contest winners. The restaurant has successfully reached out to numerous winners, many of whom now frequent Tony Roma’s with children of their own. “It has been a real joy to meet these individuals who hold such a special place in Tony Roma’s history,” says Chun.
As the artist hunt draws to a close, Tony Roma’s would like the public’s assistance to find two more contest winners. This time, the winners are siblings Dale and Beth Tamayose from Moanalua Elementary School. Both took home top prizes in 1993 when Dale was in the fourth grade and Beth was in the seventh grade.
In an effort to round out the last series of contest winners, Tony Roma’s is asking for the community’s help. Do the accompanying drawings seem familiar to you? Perhaps Dale and Beth were old playground mates of yours or fellow reading partners.
Time will tell if Tony Roma’s decides to implement another contest. “Anything that celebrates and embraces families is very important to us,” says Chun. “We are in the business of bringing people and community together and will continue to do so in the future.”
Tony Roma’s
AIEA
98-150 Kaonohi St., Aiea
487-9911
Sunday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m.
Friday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m.
WAIKIKI
1972 Kalakaua Ave, Waikiki
942-2121
Open daily, 11 a.m.-11 p.m.
Honolulu, HI 96815
Aiea, HI 96701
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