The Brass Tap Franchise
The Brass Tap is a craft beer bar franchise concept operated by FSC Franchise Co., with approximately 50 locations across 12 US states. It sells franchise rights to qualified entrepreneurs with $300K+ liquid capital, generating revenue from franchise fees and royalties.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersTampa, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What The Brass Tap Franchise does
The Brass Tap is a craft beer bar franchise concept owned and operated by FSC Franchise Co., a Tampa, Florida-based strategic operating company. The brand operates approximately 50 franchise locations across 12 US states, offering a premium experiential concept centered on craft beer selection, handcrafted cocktails, in-house barrel-aged bourbons, food pairings, live music, and trivia nights. The Brass Tap 2.0 design format, launched in 2021, generated averaged adjusted top quartile gross sales of $2.1 million per location, with newer system locations reportedly annualizing at $1.9 million in sales.
The company operates as a franchisor under FSC Franchise Co., which also manages Beef 'O' Brady's and the recently acquired Newk's Eatery. Revenue is generated through initial franchise fees from new franchisee acquisitions plus recurring royalty streams from system-wide franchise operations. The go-to-market model is sales-led: a 7-step franchise acquisition process over approximately 90 days, gated by a $300K liquid capital qualification threshold, targets experienced entrepreneurs and investors seeking proven franchise systems with premium positioning. FSC CEO Chris Elliott leads the organization.
FSC Franchise Co. reported strong midyear 2026 results, opening 7 restaurants and signing 5 franchise agreements across its three-brand portfolio. The company is actively expanding The Brass Tap into California and repositioning the brand to emphasize food and non-alcoholic beverages amid industry-wide pressures. Integration of IT, marketing, and finance functions across the three brands is underway to streamline operations ahead of 2027. The development pipeline contains 100 sold franchise deals, representing roughly twice the existing unit base.
The Brass Tap Franchise firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Brass Tap Franchise
- Legal name
- FSC Franchise Co.
- Website
- https://thebrasstapfranchise.com
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The Brass Tap is a craft beer bar franchise concept operated by FSC Franchise Co., with approximately 50 locations across 12 US states. It sells franchise rights to qualified entrepreneurs with $300K+ liquid capital, generating revenue from franchise fees and royalties.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Brass Tap Franchise industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Craft Beer Bar Franchising
- NAICS
- Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (7224), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (72241)
- SIC
- Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Craft Beer Bars & Taprooms (THAFAEAG)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Taprooms & Brewpubs (CRANACAF)
Keywords
Where The Brass Tap Franchise is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tampa
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Brass Tap Franchise business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Franchise Fees: Initial franchise fees from new franchisee acquisitions, supplemented by ongoing royalty fees from franchise operations.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Annual | Franchise opportunity requiring minimum $300K cash on hand |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels3 records
The Brass Tap Franchise product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Brass Tap Franchise sells craft beer bar franchise rights to qualified entrepreneurs who then operate individual bar locations under the brand. The franchise offering combines a curated beverage program (craft beers, handcrafted cocktails, in-house barrel-aged bourbons) with food, live music, and trivia to create an immersive neighborhood social gathering venue. Franchisees follow a seven-step, roughly 90-day development process and must have at least $300K in liquid capital; the franchisor earns initial franchise fees plus ongoing royalties.
Product overview
The Brass Tap is a single franchise brand offering — a craft beer bar concept under FSC Franchise Co. The offering centers on a premium craft beer bar experience featuring craft beers, handcrafted cocktails, barrel-aged bourbons, food pairings, live entertainment (music and trivia), creating an immersive social gathering venue. The franchise operates as a business model with 50 locations across 12 states, averaging $2.1 million in sales for new Brass Tap 2.0 design locations (2021). The company also offers franchise development with a 7-step process over approximately 90 days.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- The Brass Tap Franchise Opportunity A craft beer bar franchise opportunity sold to qualified entrepreneurs with $300K+ in liquid capital. Franchisees operate independent Brass Tap locations under the brand's seven-step development process, delivering craft beers, cocktails, barrel-aged bourbons, food pairings, live music, and trivia as an immersive neighborhood social venue.
Quantifiable outcome
- New locations outperforming historical system averages by $400,000-$500,000 in annual sales
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use The Brass Tap Franchise
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
The Brass Tap Franchise technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
The Brass Tap Franchise partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- FSC Franchise Co.coreFSC Franchise Co. is the parent company and franchisor of The Brass Tap. It reported strong midyear 2026 results opening seven restaurants and signing five franchise agreements across its three brands. FSC is integrating Newk's Eatery operations following its acquisition while repositioning Brass Tap to emphasize food and non-alcoholic beverages amid industry-wide pressures.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights4 records
The Brass Tap Franchise competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Yard House: Larger established craft beer-focused casual dining chain with extensive tap selection. Comparable on craft beer bar positioning but operates at much larger scale as a broad incumbent.
- BJ's Restaurant Brewhouse: National casual dining chain with in-house brewery operations and broad menu. Overlapping craft beer bar + food concept but at much larger scale and with broader menu offering.
- Buffalo Wild Wings: National sports bar franchise chain with significant beer-led beverage program. Comparable in bar + food social gathering concept at much larger scale, serving as broad incumbent benchmark.
Direct peers
- HopCat: Multi-location craft beer bar chain with emphasis on beer selection and casual dining. Closely comparable concept offering craft beer bar experience with food pairings similar to Brass Tap.
- World of Beer: Direct franchise competitor offering craft beer-focused bar experiences across multiple US states with similar scale to The Brass Tap. Most comparable peer given matching concept, franchise model, and craft beer positioning.
- Flying Saucer Draught Emporium: Multi-location craft beer bar chain emphasizing large tap selections and food pairings. Closely comparable craft beer bar concept with similar scale and casual premium positioning.
- Bar Louie: Casual bar franchise concept with craft drinks, food, and social atmosphere positioning. Comparable in franchise model and social gathering place concept, though broader drink focus than craft beer specialty.
- Tilted Kilt Pub & Eatery: Themed sports pub franchise with beer-centric offerings. Similar franchise scale and bar + casual dining concept targeting social gathering occasions.
Others
- Newk's Eatery: Sibling franchise brand under FSC Franchise Co., recently acquired and being integrated. Comparable as franchise system under shared FSC corporate parent.
- Beef 'O' Brady's: Sibling franchise brand under FSC Franchise Co. operating neighborhood sports pub concept. Comparable as a franchised casual dining/bar brand under shared corporate infrastructure.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
The Brass Tap Franchise social profiles
Digital presenceThe Brass Tap Franchise financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Brass Tap Franchise leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
The Brass Tap Franchise funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Brass Tap Franchise M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Brass Tap Franchise
What does The Brass Tap Franchise do?
The Brass Tap Franchise sells craft beer bar franchise rights to qualified entrepreneurs who then operate individual bar locations under the brand. The franchise offering combines a curated beverage program (craft beers, handcrafted cocktails, in-house barrel-aged bourbons) with food, live music, and trivia to create an immersive neighborhood social gathering venue. Franchisees follow a seven-step, roughly 90-day development process and must have at least $300K in liquid capital; the franchisor earns initial franchise fees plus ongoing royalties.
Is The Brass Tap Franchise a public or private company?
The Brass Tap Franchise is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was The Brass Tap Franchise founded?
The Brass Tap Franchise was founded in -1. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is The Brass Tap Franchise based?
The Brass Tap Franchise is headquartered in Tampa, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Brass Tap Franchise make money?
One revenue line is on record: franchise Fees.
Who are The Brass Tap Franchise's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Yard House, BJ's Restaurant Brewhouse and Buffalo Wild Wings. Direct peers are HopCat, World of Beer, Flying Saucer Draught Emporium, Bar Louie and Tilted Kilt Pub & Eatery. Others are Newk's Eatery and Beef 'O' Brady's.
Does The Brass Tap Franchise have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Brass Tap Franchise.
What industry is The Brass Tap Franchise in?
The Brass Tap Franchise's product category is Craft Beer Bar Franchising. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFAEAG, Craft Beer Bars & Taprooms, with a secondary code of CRANACAF, Taprooms & Brewpubs. Its NAICS code is 7224 and its SIC code is 5810.