The Brass Tap Franchise
Cost, fees, owner earnings, closure rate and litigation for a The Brass Tap franchise — pulled from the franchisor's own public FDD (2026), not its sales material.
Disclosure honesty
The Brass Tap discloses earnings (Item 19) — but the grade is how honestly. We graded it B.
What their own earnings claim actually says
Disclosed average adjusted gross sales for reporting bars ($1.38M in 2025) with company-owned income statements. Quartile breakdowns provided (top $2.22M, bottom $799K). Limited cherry-picking—shows median, high, low figures.
What a The Brass Tap franchise actually costs to run
| Fee | Disclosed | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $25,000 | Item 5 — paid up front, before you open |
| Royalty | 5% of gross sales | Item 6 — charged on revenue, not profit |
| Advertising fund | 2% of gross sales | Item 6 — brand marketing, spent at the franchisor's discretion |
| Total recurring fees | 7% of gross sales | Before rent, labor, food or debt service |
| Total initial investment | $535,350 – $1,738,675 | Item 7 — franchisor's own low/high estimate |
5% royalty, 2% ad fund (may increase to 3%). Extensive other fees including $250/day non-compliance charge, $10K health violation fee, early termination up to 3x annual royalties.
Royalty and ad-fund percentages are charged on gross sales — an owner pays them whether or not the location is profitable.
The Brass Tap system size and owner turnover
| Total outlets | 49 |
| Ceased operations | 1 |
| Terminated by franchisor | 4 |
| Transferred to new owners | 1 |
| Closure rate | 2.0% of outlets |
7 closures 2025 (all 2.0 bars). 4 terminations recent year. 2 non-renewals.
From Item 20 of the FDD 2026. Terminations and ceased operations are the franchisor's own count of owners who stopped — the number the sales pitch leaves out.
Is The Brass Tap worth it? — how it compares to 436 similar franchises
| Ongoing fees | 7% of sales | lower than most (median 8%) |
| Startup cost | from $535,350 | pricier than 82% of peers |
| Disclosure honesty | Grade B | more honest than 84% of other franchises franchises |
| Closure rate | 2.0% of outlets | about average |
| Disclosed lawsuits | 0 | fewer than most |
Benchmarked against every other franchises franchise we've graded from public FDDs — the context the franchisor's pitch never gives you.
Owner take-home for a The Brass Tap
The franchisor's framing: Disclosed average adjusted gross sales for reporting bars ($1.38M in 2025) with company-ow… We reconstruct what an owner actually keeps, from their own FDD.
- Reconstructed owner P&L — net take-home after royalty, ad fund, rent, labor & debt
- Break-even timeline + cash-on-cash ROI
- Full fee stack + required-purchase markups
- Decoded real failure / closure rate
- How it ranks vs comparable franchises
- Validation-call playbook — the exact questions to ask
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The Brass Tap franchise — frequently asked
- How much does a The Brass Tap franchise cost?
- The FDD lists a total initial investment of about $535,350–$1,738,675, including a $25,000 initial franchise fee.
- How much do The Brass Tap franchise owners make?
- Disclosed average adjusted gross sales for reporting bars ($1.38M in 2025) with company-owned income statements. Quartile breakdowns provided (top $2.22M, bottom $799K). Limited cherry-picking—shows median, high, low figures. We grade this disclosure B for honesty.
- What are the The Brass Tap franchise fees?
- The Brass Tap's FDD discloses a $25,000 initial franchise fee, a 5% royalty on gross sales, a 2% advertising-fund contribution, for roughly 7% of gross sales in recurring fees before rent, labor, or debt service. 5% royalty, 2% ad fund (may increase to 3%). Extensive other fees including $250/day non-compliance charge, $10K health violation fee, early termination up to 3x annual royalties.
- What is the The Brass Tap franchise profit margin?
- The Brass Tap does not publish a franchisee net-profit margin — almost no franchisor does. What Item 19 actually shows: Disclosed average adjusted gross sales for reporting bars ($1.38M in 2025) with company-owned income statements. Quartile breakdowns provided (top $2.22M, bottom $799K). Limited cherry-picking—shows median, high, low figures. Recurring fees alone take about 7% of gross sales, before rent, labor, food or debt service. Margin has to be reconstructed from the disclosure, not read off it.
- What is the The Brass Tap franchise failure rate?
- 7 closures 2025 (all 2.0 bars). 4 terminations recent year. 2 non-renewals.
- How many The Brass Tap locations are there?
- The Brass Tap's FDD reports 49 total outlets, with 1 that ceased operations in the most recent reporting year and 1 transferred to new owners. Item 20 is where system health shows up before the marketing does.
- Does The Brass Tap have complaints or lawsuits?
- The Brass Tap discloses no material litigation in Item 3 of the filing we reviewed. That's a positive signal, though it covers only what the franchisor is required to report.
- Is a The Brass Tap franchise worth it?
- It depends on the numbers, not the pitch. The Brass Tap scores B on disclosure honesty, carries about 7% of sales in ongoing fees. Get the real owner take-home before you sign.
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Source: WI DFI Franchise Registration (2026). FranchiseValidate is independent and not affiliated with The Brass Tap or its franchisor. Figures are extracted from the franchisor's own public disclosure document; verify against the current FDD before any decision.