--- title: "The Gazette: The Brass Tap to Open its First Colorado Location as Consumer Demand for Craft Beer Rises" url: https://burnaze.com/article/d17f89f9-24b8-4961-9163-b748cf4147f3 source: "1851 Franchise" original_url: https://1851franchise.com/the-gazette-the-brass-tap-to-open-its-first-colorado-location-as-consumer-demand-for-craft-beer-rises-5586 category: "Restaurants" industry: "Restaurants" topics: ["Development & multi-unit"] published: 2016-08-23T20:15:00.000Z modified: 2026-11-01T03:18:26.334Z image: https://newimage.1851franchise.com/cdn-cgi/image/quality=85,format=webp,width=1280,height=720/story/featureImage/d56844d8b44dbc3fd27bfdc7d333aa7e2812160823145301.jpg --- # The Gazette: The Brass Tap to Open its First Colorado Location as Consumer Demand for Craft Beer Rises **TL;DR:** The Brass Tap is opening its first Colorado location as consumer demand for craft beer rises. FSC is introducing incentives for new and existing restaurant owners to invest in a franchise, including reduced upfront fees and royalties. *originally published in 1851 Franchise on 2016-08-23. [Read the original](https://1851franchise.com/the-gazette-the-brass-tap-to-open-its-first-colorado-location-as-consumer-demand-for-craft-beer-rises-5586).* ## Key facts - FSC reduces upfront franchise fee - 0% royalties for first year - Up to $2,500 in marketing funds ## Story We want to create a compelling reason for qualified entrepreneurs who have been considering restaurant ownership to make their move, said Chris Elliott, CEO of FSC. Reducing the upfront franchise fee significantly lowers one of the initial barriers to entry, but the bigger opportunity comes from opening quickly. ## Incentives and fees - If a franchisee opens their restaurant within 12 months of signing, we'll eliminate royalties for that first year and invest alongside them in their grand-opening marketing. - We want owners focused on building their business and establishing themselves in the community from day one. FSC is also introducing a separate incentive for existing restaurant owners interested in converting their current location into a Beef ‘O’ Brady’s or The Brass Tap. Qualified operators who sign a single-unit conversion agreement will pay no initial franchise fee, a $25,000 discount. - Operators who complete their conversion and open within 9 months of signing will also pay 0% royalties for their first year of operation and receive up to $2,500 in matching grand-opening marketing funds. The conversion incentive is designed to give restaurant operators a lower-cost path to an established franchise system while leveraging existing restaurant space and infrastructure. There are independent restaurant operators across the country who already have the location, equipment, employees and restaurant experience, but they may be looking for a stronger brand, proven systems and more support behind them, Elliott said. - For those operators, a conversion can be an efficient way to join Beef ‘O’ Brady’s or The Brass Tap without starting completely from scratch. - By eliminating the franchise fee and first-year royalties for operators who move quickly, we're making that opportunity even more attractive. ## Development momentum The new incentive comes as FSC continues to build momentum in development across its restaurant portfolio. Through the first half of 2026, FSC opened seven restaurants, including two Beef ‘O’ Brady’s locations and five The Brass Tap locations, while signing five new franchise agreements. This class of Beef ‘O’ Brady’s and The Brass Tap restaurants is the best we've ever opened, and in this environment, we're very excited about that, Elliott said. FSC has also continued investing in restaurant development, marketing, technology and operational support while evaluating more efficient prototypes intended to reduce development costs. We believe strongly in the future of both Beef ‘O’ Brady’s and The Brass Tap, and we're willing to invest alongside franchisees who are ready to grow with us, Elliott said. There is still significant white space available, and we have a development and support team that knows how to get restaurants open and help operators build momentum. This incentive is about making 2026 an especially attractive time to join the system. ## Entities - 1851 Franchise (publication) - Restaurants (sector) - unit expansion (topic) - Colorado (location) - The Brass Tap (company) - restaurant development (topic) - Beef 'O' Brady's (company) - Chris Elliott (person) - craft beer (topic) - franchise incentives (topic) --- Originally reported by 1851 Franchise (https://1851franchise.com/the-gazette-the-brass-tap-to-open-its-first-colorado-location-as-consumer-demand-for-craft-beer-rises-5586). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/d17f89f9-24b8-4961-9163-b748cf4147f3).