The Brass Tap: Crafting Local Pub Charm

The franchise industry doesn’t have to be synonymous with cookie-cutter chains. In fact, The Brass Tap has succeeded in franchising by being the exact opposite—this emerging brand combines the unique local ambience of the “pub next door” with all of the corporate support a franchise system offers.

Chris Elliot, CEO of FSC Franchise Co., was looking for another business to add to his company’s portfolio to accompany the established Beef ‘O’ Brady’s franchise when he first discovered The Brass Tap. When it was acquired by Elliot in 2012, the pub had just three locations.

But as the craft beer industry exploded into a $22 billion market, demand for bars like The Brass Tap grew as more and more people craved the latest flavors from their local breweries. After two years under the FSC Franchise Co. umbrella, The Brass Tap ended 2014 at 19 locations.

And as they near the end of 2016, Elliott is planning on that total doubling come 2017.

“As we’ve grown, we’ve evolved,” said Elliott. “The primary reason we were interested in adding The Brass Tap to our portfolio was because it was in an emerging category. Craft breweries and beer are growing like crazy.”

When they first acquired The Brass Tap, the brand originally offered up just a craft beer and wine experience. But Elliot saw even more potential.

“We discovered that we needed to add food, and then eventually we figured out we needed to add more food and liquor,” Elliott said. “Only a small segment of beer drinkers are aficionados, so we needed to expand our concept to get better results.”

Breaking into the craft beer industry is what’s luring prospective franchisees to the brand, but it isn’t the only thing. Elliott is offering franchisees the ability to mold their business into a community staple. While it’s important for him and the brand to establish a number of uniform, system-wide menu items and beer offerings, franchisees are afforded the opportunity to plug in regional craft breweries and menu items that help provide customers the local feel they crave.

Today, the average unit offers 60 beer taps, 20 of which are corporate standard. That gives owners room to customize their menus. For the most part, the food menu is standardized across the system, but to accommodate that hometown feel, franchisees are given the freedom to add menu items that townies have come to expect. For example, Wisconsin’s Brass Tap location wouldn’t feel quite the same without offering cheese curds, would it?

“A really good bar is a social gathering place,” said Elliott. “If I had to put my finger on [the appeal for franchisees], I would say there’s a palpable passion to capture that feeling and the atmosphere. A really good bar is a social gathering place – a place where people can listen to live music, talk to friends, watch the game, meet after work. There’s a nuance in running a Brass Tap correctly. It’s about setting the right vibe; the music level, the lighting, when people walk in, I want them to say ‘I’m glad I’m here.’”