The Brass Tap, a restaurant chain, uses local flair to create unique experiences for its customers. Enter The Brass Tap in Round Rock, Texas, and be transported to the Wild West, with a Western-style saloon and decor like a longhorn skull on the wall mixing with modern fixtures.
Travel hundreds of miles west to The Brass Tap in Marina, California, and enjoy a beer just blocks from the crashing waves of a nearby beach, with a traditional indoor dining room and large open doors that let out onto a patio offering a beer garden space.
Customizing the Experience
While all Brass Taps have the same logo, menu, branding, and interior elements like its tap wall and liquor display, operators can generally design their restaurants around local elements, said Scott SirLouis, The Brass Tap’s chief operating officer.
Scott SirLouis stated that they keep these consistent brand touch points, but take the rest of the look and feel of the place, and really work with the franchisee to customize it and to make it individualized to their particular location in their community.
The Brass Tap’s competitors are local, independent restaurants, and the company wants to be seen as aesthetically on par with these establishments, Scott SirLouis said.
Success and Expansion
The Brass Tap plans to open nine units this year with another eight planned for 2027, Scott SirLouis said, adding that it has 38 units committed and in its pipeline, nearly doubling the chain’s 52-store count.
Scott SirLouis added that he hopes to open 10 to 12 restaurants annually in the near future, and the chain will continue to rely on operators with local connections to ensure the success of the brand.
Restaurant operators typically have close connections with local businesses, be that through the beer suppliers or the events they host, and at least one-third of the 45 to 60 taps at a Brass Tap restaurant need to be local brews, Scott SirLouis said.
Engaging with the Local Community
The Brass Tap restaurants host events and activities to engage with the local community, such as a restaurant in Marina, California, partnering with a local dance studio, where customers could buy tickets and receive drinks and access to a buffet as well as dance lessons from the instructors.
The Brass Tap allows franchisees the autonomy to create their own events, and if they’re successful, corporate will share the ideas across the system so other franchisees can try similar events.
The chain’s marketing department also comes up with ideas, like themed trivia nights, that operators can offer their guests, and it’s this mix of local execution and ideation with corporate-level support that allows franchisees to be successful, Scott SirLouis said.
Growth and Support
Being part of a chain means receiving efficiencies, purchasing power, systems, processes, and tech support, Scott SirLouis said, and parent company FSC Franchise has almost 300 units across three brands and a half billion dollars in revenue.
This includes a full IT department, accounting team, restaurant operations support, and construction teams, as well as an in-house architect, all set up for rapid growth and able to support The Brass Tap’s aggressive expansion pipeline, Scott SirLouis said.
The Brass Tap’s growth is coming both from new franchisees and existing operators, with about two-thirds of locations owned by single-unit operators and the remaining third owned by multi-unit franchisees.
As the chain densifies, it has also been experimenting with mass media advertising campaigns, such as connected TV ads in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, which focused on The Brass Tap’s food and value specials and was very successful, Scott SirLouis said.
The chain plans to enhance its current lineup, like expanding its burgers, adding more wing sauces, and upgrading its sharables, and is working with culinary consultants and an in-house culinary team to ensure there is a craft approach to its food.
Scott SirLouis noted that while the chain will always be beverage-led, it also wants to help people understand how great the food is, which will help drive lunch sales and off-premise sales, and the chain is trying to change its sales mix to 55% food and 45% alcohol.
The Brass Tap is focused on customizing each location to fit the local community.
They achieve this through local events and activities.
Local connections are key to the chain‘s success.
The Brass Tap has a strong support system in place for its franchisees.
This support system includes a full IT department and accounting team.
The chain’s growth is a result of its successful business model.
The Brass Tap is committed to providing a unique experience for its customers.