Tapster franchise
2024 filing · September 5, 2024Growing
Tapster at a glance
A self-pour bar with craft beer, wine and cocktails on tap, plus light food. At the end of 2023 there were 4 Tapster locations in the US, 1 franchised and 3 company-owned, so most are run by the company itself.
The business
- Franchisor
- Tap Star Franchising, LLC
- The company that sells the franchises
- Current franchisor selling since
- 2018
- 6 years of selling franchises
- Franchisor based in
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $201K–$1.3M
- Fee, build-out and opening working capital
- Franchise fee
- $40,000
- $30,000 each when you sign for three or more bars at once, plus a $15,000 launch fee
- Royalty
- 5%
- 5% of gross sales, paid monthly, plus up to 2% to the advertising fund. Where local law bars fees on alcohol sales, the royalty is charged on other sales instead, with a $7,000 monthly minimum
- Brand fund
- Yes
- Up to 2% of gross sales or $2,800 a month
- Agreement length
- 10 years
- Territory
- Limited
- Limited protection
- Franchisor financing
- None offered
Where it is
- US locations, 2023
- 4
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 1
- Company-owned
- 3
- Change in 3 years
- +1
- Franchised locations, 2021–2023
- States
- 4
- Most in Illinois, Ohio and Pennsylvania
From Tap Star Franchising, LLC’s 2024 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Where it ranks
Tapster among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | Tapster | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $751,600 | Costs more than 77% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $40,000 | Lower than 46% of franchises |
| RoyaltyShare of sales paid to the franchisor | 5% | Lower than 69% of brands with a set rate |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 4 | Fewer than 74% of franchises |
How much a Tapster franchise costs
Opening one Tapster costs an estimated $200,700 to $1,302,500. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
Source: Tap Star Franchising, LLC, 2024 filing, page 1
Tapster franchise fee
The franchise fee is $40,000, $30,000 each when you sign for three or more bars at once, plus a $15,000 launch fee. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: Tap Star Franchising, LLC, 2024 filing, page 15
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 5% of gross sales, paid monthly, plus up to 2% to the advertising fund. Where local law bars fees on alcohol sales, the royalty is charged on other sales instead, with a $7,000 monthly minimum. |
|---|---|
| Brand or marketing fund | Up to 2% of gross sales or $2,800 a month. |
| Technology Fee | Then-current fee (currently, $1,000 per month) |
| Transfer Fee | $20,000 |
| Local Advertising Deficiency Fee | Up to 1% of Gross Sales per month |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: Tap Star Franchising, LLC, 2024 filing, pages 15 and 16
Other fees as filed, from pages 16–19. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
No figures Tapster does not share sales or profit figures for its locations. Talking to current and former franchise owners is the usual way to learn what a location earns.
Source: Tap Star Franchising, LLC, 2024 filing, page 58
- Estimate Estimated yearly sales per location
- $820K–$1.5M
Estimated from the sales that 292 comparable franchises file, matched on industry, format, cost to open, fees and size.
SBA loans to Tapster franchisees
Lenders approved 2 SBA 7(a) loans for Tapster franchisees in 2026, $1.71M in all. None has been paid off or charged off yet.
A charged-off loan is one written off as uncollectible. See SBA franchise loans for how 7(a) and 504 loans work.
Source: SBA 7(a) and 504 loan data, as of September 30, 2026
How Tapster compares
Of the 168 entertainment franchises on this site, Tapster is the 69th cheapest to open and the 96th largest by number of locations.
| Figure | Tapster | Typical entertainment brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $201K | $286K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $1.3M | $598K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $40K | $45K | $40K |
| Royalty | 5% | 6% | 6% |
| US locations | 4 | 8 | 21 |
| Shares earnings figures | No | 113 of 168 | 2,147 of 3,352 |
Typical is the median across the 168 brands in entertainment franchises; typical franchise, across every brand here.
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned | Opened | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 0 (0) | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 (0) | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | 1 (+1) | 3 | +1 | 0 |
Closed or left counts terminations, non-renewals, locations bought back by the franchisor and locations that stopped operating.
See which brands grew most in the fastest-growing franchises rankings.
More in the guides: franchise failure rates.
Source: Tap Star Franchising, LLC, 2024 filing, page 59
Where Tapster locations are
At the end of 2023, Tapster had locations in 4 states. The most are in Illinois, Ohio and Pennsylvania.
- Illinois1
- Ohio1
- Pennsylvania1
- Washington1
| State | Franchised | Company-owned | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Ohio | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Pennsylvania | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Washington | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Source: Tap Star Franchising, LLC, 2024 filing, page 60
Who owns Tapster?
Tapster franchises are sold by Tap Star Franchising, LLC.
From Tap Star Franchising, LLC’s 2024 filing.
Lawsuits and bankruptcy
| Lawsuits and regulatory actions | None. The filing says no litigation has to be disclosed. |
|---|---|
| Bankruptcy | None. The filing says no bankruptcy has to be disclosed. |
Franchisors must disclose lawsuits and bankruptcies involving the company, its parents and affiliates, and its executives. Many cases are routine disputes with franchisees over fees or contracts; read the descriptions in the filing and ask current owners about anything that worries you.
Source: Tap Star Franchising, LLC, 2024 filing, litigation on page 14, bankruptcy on page 14
Tapster filings
The figures on this page come from Tap Star Franchising, LLC’s 2024 filing, issued September 5, 2024, on record with the NASAA Electronic Filing Depository.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 filing | September 5, 2024 | NASAA depository | Costs, fees and locations, 2021–2023 |
Each link opens the filing as a PDF. See the newest filings across all brands.
Other entertainment franchises
All entertainment franchises
Tapster is also on these lists: restaurant franchises, food franchises.