Brass Tap Plots Multi-Bar Alamo City Comeback

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After nearly eight years off the local tap list, The Brass Tap, a Florida-based craft beer chain, is working on a San Antonio comeback. The company is actively recruiting franchisees to open multiple locations across the city, but has not yet announced specific sites or a timeline for the return. The Brass Tap previously operated a location at The Rim in San Antonio that closed in 2017 after local ownership ran into financial trouble.

Why it matters

The Brass Tap's planned return to San Antonio comes as the city's beer and hospitality landscape has shifted in recent years, with several local breweries and taprooms scaling back or changing hands as operators wrestle with rising costs and evolving demand. The market could be both risky and welcoming for a national franchise like The Brass Tap that comes in with committed capital and tested unit economics.

The details

The Brass Tap is a craft beer-focused restaurant chain that was founded in 2007 in the Tampa, Florida area. The brand has more than 50 locations across roughly 12 states, including about 18 in Texas. The Brass Tap's franchise model leans on a large craft beer lineup paired with shareable dishes such as old-world pizza and Angus burgers. The company is working to recruit experienced franchisees as part of a wider growth campaign that includes refreshed store design and loyalty programs.

• The Brass Tap first landed in the San Antonio market in 2015, setting up shop at the Rim, but that location closed at the end of 2017 after local ownership ran into financial trouble.
• The Brass Tap is now actively recruiting franchisees to open multiple locations in San Antonio, but has not yet announced specific sites or a timeline for the return.

What’s next

Leasing filings, permit applications and fresh for-lease signage will likely be the first concrete signs that The Brass Tap's Alamo City comeback is finally moving from sales pitch to build-out.