Flying Saucer Draught Emporium

What Flying Saucer Draught Emporium does

Flying Saucer Draught Emporium is a privately held multi-location craft beer bar operator founded in 1995 in Fort Worth, Texas, and owned by Eight-O Management, Inc. The company operates 12 venues across Texas (7), Tennessee (2), North Carolina (2), and Arkansas (1), each offering more than 250 beers spanning roughly 100 brewing styles, a full pub food menu, cocktails, and event hosting for groups of 15 to 340+ guests. The flagship Fort Worth location was named "Best Beer Selection" by Fort Worth Magazine in 2018, and the company self-identifies as a pioneer of the "Beer Craze" movement.

The underlying technology stack is deliberately lean: the proprietary Beerknurd TapThatApp mobile platform powers the UFO Club loyalty program, enabling members to track beer consumption across locations, participate in challenges, and trade collectible commemorative glasses via the Glass Trader marketplace (which carries inventory dating to 1999). Back-of-house commerce runs on third-party integrations — ToastTab and Order Online for pickup and delivery, EZCater for catering, WooCommerce for merchandise, and PayPal for payment processing. Revenue is generated almost entirely from on-premise food and beverage sales, supplemented by catering, private events, branded merchandise (including a PDGA-approved disc golf line), and gift cards. The company does not franchise and grows at a stated pace of one to two new locations per year, reaching a 30-year operating milestone in 2025.

Name

Flying Saucer Draught Emporium

Legal name

Flying Saucer Draught Emporium

Website

https://beerknurd.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Flying Saucer Draught Emporium is a privately held, 12-location craft beer bar chain founded in 1995 in Fort Worth, Texas, offering 250+ beers across 100 styles to craft beer enthusiasts, social groups, and private event hosts across Texas, Tennessee, North Carolina, and Arkansas.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Craft Beer Bar

NAICS

Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (7224)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Craft Beer Bars & Taprooms (THAFAEAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Brewpubs & Taprooms (On-site Beer Service) (THAFALAA), Taprooms & Brewpubs (CRANACAF), Alcohol Subscription & Wine Clubs (Retail) (CRANABAF)

Keywords

• Craft beer bar
• Pub dining services
• Craft beer selection
• Beer loyalty program
• Event catering

Headquarters

HQ city

Fort Worth

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices12 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. On-Premise Food and Beverage Sales: Primary revenue stream from selling craft beers and full pub menu at 12 physical restaurant locations across Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee, and North Carolina. Offers 250+ beers with 100 different brewing styles.
2. Merchandise and Swag Sales: E-commerce sales of branded merchandise including t-shirts, hats, bar towels, and disc golf products. Also includes gift card sales.
3. Catering and Events: Private event hosting and catering services for parties of 15-340+ guests with customizable party platters and full menu availability.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Flying Saucer Draught Emporium operates a chain of craft beer bars offering more than 250 beers across 100 different brewing styles, a full pub menu, cocktails, and event venue services at 12 locations in Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee, and North Carolina. The core beer bar experience is complemented by the UFO Club loyalty program, the Glass Trader collectible glass trading marketplace, branded merchandise and disc golf products sold online, and private event and catering services for groups of 15-340+ guests.

Product overview

Flying Saucer Draught Emporium is a multi-location craft beer bar chain operating 12 venues across Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee, and North Carolina. The core offering is a beer bar experience with over 250 beers and 100 brewing styles, complemented by a full pub menu and cocktails. The product ecosystem includes the UFO Club loyalty program, Glass Trader collectible trading platform, an e-commerce swag store with disc golf products, and event/catering services. The company uses TapThatApp for member engagement, ToastTab and Order Online for online ordering, EZCater for catering, and PayPal for payment processing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• UFO Club: Loyalty/membership program for beer enthusiasts at Flying Saucer locations.
• TapThatApp

Products and services

• Flying Saucer Draught Emporium (Craft Beer Bar) Multi-location craft beer bar chain operating 12 venues in Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee, and North Carolina, serving 250+ beers across 100 brewing styles with a full pub menu and cocktails for individual diners and groups.
• UFO Club Loyalty Program Membership-based loyalty program for craft beer enthusiasts that tracks beer consumption, hosts leaderboards and challenges, and grants access to exclusive offers and collectible rewards across all Flying Saucer locations.
• Glass Trader Collectible Glass Marketplace Peer-to-peer trading platform for UFO Club members to buy, sell, or trade limited edition commemorative Flying Saucer glasses dating back to 1999, including holiday and event-specific editions.
• Branded Merchandise and Gift Cards Online and in-store sale of branded apparel (t-shirts, hats), bar towels, 30th Anniversary commemorative items, and gift cards redeemable at Flying Saucer locations.
• Flying Saucer Disc Golf Products PDGA-approved branded disc golf discs including mid-range and distance drivers (e.g., Saucer Mid-Range Driver, Tesla Distance Driver, Assassin Disc) sold in limited edition space-themed designs.
• Event Booking and Catering Services Private event venue booking and catering for parties of 15-340+ guests, offering party platters, full pub menu access, and dedicated private rooms, patios, and beer gardens at select locations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 250+ craft beer options available at each location
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• TapThatAppcoreTechnology or IntegrationTapThatApp is the technology platform powering the Beerknurd TapThatApp loyalty program, enabling UFO Club members to track beer consumption, access leaderboards, participate in challenges, and engage with Flying Saucer across all locations.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• BJs Restaurant Brewhouse: Large publicly-traded casual dining chain with in-house brewing and a deep beer list. Overlaps with Flying Saucer on beer selection and full-menu casual dining, but is a broader concept with broader food orientation and significantly larger footprint.
• Twin Peaks Restaurant: Casual dining sports-lodge chain with a heavy bar and beer program, heavily concentrated in the South. Comparable to Flying Saucer on Texas/Southern US casual bar positioning, large-format venues, and event programming, but with a broader lodge concept.
• Buffalo Wild Wings: National sports-bar chain with significant bar program and event-driven traffic (sports watch parties, trivia). Comparable to Flying Saucer on event-led bar positioning and southern US concentration, but is a much larger incumbent centered on wings rather than craft beer.

Direct peers

• HopCat: Multi-unit craft beer bar chain known for 100+ taps and a "beer-centric" gastropub concept. Strong direct peer to Flying Saucer on selection depth, casual dining, and bar programming in Midwestern and Eastern US markets.
• World of Beer: Bar-and-grill franchise concept centered on 500+ beer selections and a tavern experience. Closest direct comparable to Flying Saucer on craft beer curation, loyalty/community programming, and multi-state bar footprint, though franchised.
• The Brass Tap: Franchised craft beer bar concept offering 60+ beers on tap plus a premium spirits program. Directly comparable to Flying Saucer on craft beer selection, casual upscale positioning, and bar-led experience; differentiates via franchise model.
• Yard House: National upscale-casual chain built around an oversized draft beer list (often 100+ taps). Directly comparable to Flying Saucer on the core craft-beer-as-hero concept, multi-location footprint, and event-driven bar programming, but at meaningfully larger scale.

Emerging players

• Growler USA: Smaller franchise concept focused on craft beer by the growler and on-premise tap service. Comparable to Flying Saucer on craft beer focus but with a different take-home/retail angle and a much smaller footprint.
• Dogfish Head Brewings & Eats: Owner-operated brewpub and brewery concept pairing in-house brewing with elevated pub food and curated beer experiences. Comparable to Flying Saucer on community-driven craft beer bar positioning, but with a producer angle and a much smaller footprint.

Others

• Total Wine & More: Largest US independent retailer of beer, wine, and spirits, with frequent in-store tastings. Not a direct bar competitor, but an adjacent channel where Flying Saucer's merchandising and curated beer expertise could expand, and which competes for craft beer consumer mindshare.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/flyingsaucer95
• Facebookfacebook.com/FlyingSaucerFortWorth
• Instagraminstagram.com/FlyingSaucerFW
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/eight-o-management-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Flying Saucer Draught Emporium