The Brass Tap honors Lubbock owners as top franchisees

The Brass Tap, a franchisor of upscale American taverns, today announced it has named Robert and Becky Samaniego its franchisees of the year. Robert and Becky have owned the Lubbock, Texas Brass Tap since 2024.

“Robert and Becky represent exactly what we look for in our franchise partners,” said Chris Elliott, CEO of FSC Franchise Co., the parent company of The Brass Tap. “In just two years, they’ve taken a concept that was completely new to them and built a business centered on genuine hospitality, strong relationships and community connection.

Their willingness to learn, embrace the support of our franchise system and put their guests and employees first is what makes them so deserving of this recognition. We’re proud to name them our 2026 Franchisee of the Year and excited to see what they accomplish next.”

As Elliott suggests, prior to franchising with The Brass Tap, neither Robert nor Becky had any experience in restaurant management. Becky had worked as a nurse for more than twenty years, while Robert’s professional background is in logistics. With help from the brand’s franchise support team, however, they were able to upskill rapidly, increase their knowledge of the restaurant business, and build leadership skills.

“I wouldn’t have made it without corporate,” said Becky. “They taught me everything I know. I didn’t know what ‘cost of goods sold’ or operating margins were. They were there every step of the way, and even their IT department has been incredible whenever we’ve needed help.”

Robert and Becky have taken pride in building a local restaurant that reflects the character of Lubbock and brings people together in a fun, community-oriented way. Their dedication to growing the business and fostering authentic local relationships is what earned them recognition as The Brass Tap’s franchisees of the year.

“Lubbock is a really big small town,” Becky explained. “Everybody knows somebody. You start talking to people and realize you have mutual friends or family. The Brass Tap fits that because it feels like a place where people can feel at home. You have to connect with your guests, and you have to connect with your team. At the end of the day, we’re all just people. It’s all just wings and beer. People want to come in, relax and have a good time. We genuinely want people to have a memorable experience, and I think they can tell.”

The Brass Tap is one of three restaurant concepts in multi-brand franchisor FSC Franchise Co.’s portfolio, which also includes Beef ‘O’ Brady’s and Newk’s Eatery. Beef ‘O’ Brady’s is a family sports pub franchise with more than 120 locations nationwide, while Newk’s is a 100-plus-unit fast-casual restaurant brand that emphasizes convenience. When you add in the 50 Brass Taps, FSC Franchise Co.’s total footprint includes more than 270 locations across the United States.

As FSC Franchise Co.’s footprint continues to grow, the franchisor is looking to connect with additional potential operators who want to own scalable, community-driven restaurants.