The Brass Tap franchise
A Brass Tap franchisee operates a bar serving craft beer, wine and food. At the end of 2025 there were 49 The Brass Tap locations in the US, 47 franchised and 2 company-owned.
- Cost to open
- $535K–$1.74M
- Franchise fee
- $25,000
- Royalty
- 5%
- Locations, 2025
- 49+6 in 3 yrs
Compare with similar brands Estimate your costs
Company snapshot
- SBA loans
- On the SBA Franchise Directory
From BRASS TAP FRANCHISOR, LLC’s 2026 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
How much a The Brass Tap franchise costs
Opening one bar costs an estimated $535,350 to $1,738,675. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
Source: BRASS TAP FRANCHISOR, LLC, 2026 filing, page 20
The Brass Tap franchise fee
The franchise fee is $25,000. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: BRASS TAP FRANCHISOR, LLC, 2026 filing, page 10
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 5% of adjusted gross sales, paid monthly. |
|---|
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: BRASS TAP FRANCHISOR, LLC, 2026 filing, page 12
Sales and earnings
Shares figures The Brass Tap publishes sales or earnings figures for its locations: historical sales for franchised bars open for at least 18 months before each reporting year-end. The full tables, with notes on which locations are counted, are in its filing.
Source: BRASS TAP FRANCHISOR, LLC, 2026 filing, page 51
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 42 (+1) | 1 | 4 |
| 2024 | 51 (+9) | 2 | 4 |
| 2025 | 47 (−4) | 2 | 7 |
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.
Source: BRASS TAP FRANCHISOR, LLC, 2026 filing, page 56
How The Brass Tap compares
Of the 126 restaurant franchises on this site, The Brass Tap is the 70th cheapest to open and the 83rd largest by number of locations.
| Measure | The Brass Tap | Typical restaurant |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $535K | $484K |
| Royalty | 5% | 5% |
| Closed or left per year | 11% | 3.6% |
| Change in franchised locations, 3 yrs | +14.6% | +6.3% |
| Shares earnings figures | Yes | 92 of 126 |
Typical is the median across the 126 brands in restaurant franchises.
