The Brass Tap Franchise

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.

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

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

• Craft beer bar franchise
• Restaurant franchise opportunity
• Bar franchise development
• Franchise royalty fees
• Craft beverage hospitality

Headquarters

HQ city

Tampa

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Franchise Fees: Initial franchise fees from new franchisee acquisitions, supplemented by ongoing royalty fees from franchise operations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core 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

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• FSC Franchise Co.coreOthersFSC 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

Broad 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

• Xx.com/the_brass_tap
• Facebookfacebook.com/brasstapbeerbar

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 The Brass Tap Franchise