The Brass Tap & Beef ‘O’ Brady’s Upgrade Existing Tampa-Area Locations

As a successful, three-decade old brand, it can be challenging to commit to change. For Tampa-based brand Beef ‘O’ Brady’s, this challenge recently stemmed from a need to renovate a number of the company’s existing locations. But the loyal following they’ve built has grown accustom to specific décor, menu items and the family-friendly environment that has made Beef ‘O’ Brady’s a fan favorite. Looking for a solution, FSC Franchise Co. found a way to cater to their existing customer base and their growing millennial audience with a modern facelift.

The company is celebrating the 33-year anniversary of Beef ‘O’ Brady’s and the 10th anniversary of sister brand, The Brass Tap by strategically remodeling locations across the brand’s home market of Tampa, Florida. These changes include an upgraded TV package for sports lovers, a patio for outdoor seating, entertainment like pinball machines and old school arcade games, new menu items and updated furniture.

“While many of our owners commit to updating their stores every few years, whether that involves adding new technology or changing the décor, some of our original Tampa-area locations were looking a little stale,” said FSC Franchise Co. CEO Chris Elliott. “It’s important for our home market to make the best possible impression. This refresh is a test, and we are doing customer intercepts to evaluate the changes and make tweaks as needed. So far, the customer feedback and financial results have been very promising.”

The brand started renovating a few of their Tampa-area locations at the beginning of the year, starting with the Beef ‘O’ Brady’s in Summerfield and The Brass Tap in Carrollwood. In May, the brand will be closing their Citrus Park Beef ‘O’ Brady’s location with a ribbon cutting ceremony slated for May 14.

Unlike the grand openings for other brands, FSC Franchise Co. decided to make the unveiling a community-wide celebration by hosting week-long events like a scholarship giveaway to one deserving employee, offering a number of discounts and specials, and introducing some of the new menu items.

For the Carrollwood Brass Tap, the biggest addition was the launch of a new Barrel Aged Craft Bourbon program, where they age Manhattans and Old Fashions in house for 21-days. They also started serving a premium craft bourbons lineup.

“The popularity of bourbon has grown within the past couple of years, and we want to continue to meet customer demand by expanding our offerings,” said Elliott. “At our Carrollwood location we make craft beer on site and think the new aged craft bourbon program is an excellent complement to our beer.”

Looking ahead, customers can expect to see more of these upgrades popping up at Brass Tap and Beef ‘O’ Brady’s locations nationwide.

“We love the new look and feel that we’ve created for our brands and are confident our loyal customers will approve,” said Elliott. “The atmosphere and vibe are more in tune with the direction our brands are headed and Tampa is just the start as we look for other veteran locations in need of an update. By the end of the year, we hope to have a strategy in place to bring this new energy to other existing locations and create a more current brand image across the board.”