A family franchise group led by 23-year-old Ohm Patel has signed a three-unit development agreement with The Brass Tap, the Tampa-based craft beer bar and entertainment concept under FSC Franchise Co., marking the brand's first entry into Tennessee. Planned locations in Brentwood, Murfreesboro, and Franklin will bring the upscale American tavern format to fast-growing Middle Tennessee suburbs, where competition for dining-and-entertainment dollars is intensifying.
Concept and Footprint
Each location will feature The Brass Tap's curated tap lineup of local and regional craft beers alongside specialty cocktails, premium wines, and a chef-inspired shareable menu. The entertainment stack — live music, trivia nights, sports watch parties, karaoke, and patio community events — is central to the brand's throughput and repeat-visit model, distinguishing it from traditional bar-and-grill operators in suburban markets. Final site selections across the three Middle Tennessee markets remain under evaluation, with Brentwood slated as the group's first opening.
The Patel family brings a multi-generational hospitality background to the agreement. Ohm's father Chan and other family partners have operated hotels and retail locations in the United States for more than 20 years, providing an operational foundation that FSC views as advantageous for scaling a franchise unit. The group conducted due diligence at an existing Brass Tap in Huntsville, Alabama, and attended Discovery Day at FSC's corporate headquarters in Tampa before committing.
Franchise Platform and Market Context
The Brass Tap now operates more than 50 locations across 16 states and sits alongside Beef 'O' Brady's and Newk's Eatery within FSC Franchise Co.'s portfolio of more than 250 units nationwide. The Tennessee deal follows a broader suburban-expansion playbook that FSC has leaned into as post-pandemic consumer demand for neighborhood entertainment venues has remained elevated. Operators like The Brass Tap are increasingly competing on experiential programming and beverage variety as differentiators — capabilities that also inform digital loyalty and CRM strategies as franchise systems look to convert casual visitors into regulars.
"Our development strategy is built on finding the right partners in the right markets, and Ohm and his family are a perfect fit for Middle Tennessee," said Chris Elliott, CEO of FSC Franchise Co. "Every new signing is a testament to the strength of our business model and the demand for a premium bar and grill experience."
For operators assessing franchise investments in the bar-and-grill segment, The Brass Tap's entertainment-driven model intersects with several technology layers relevant to modern foodservice: POS systems capable of handling complex beverage menus, reservation and waitlist tools suited to high-traffic event nights, and loyalty platforms built for a cover-count-focused business. FSC has noted digital convenience as a pillar across its portfolio — a signal that the incoming Tennessee units will likely deploy the brand's existing tech stack from day one. Franchisees entering the segment today benefit from established integrations that reduce the operational burden of standing up new locations, a meaningful advantage for a first-time multi-unit group.
For more on franchise-driven foodservice expansion and the technology stacks powering suburban restaurant growth, see our coverage of digital ordering trends in the bar and grill segment and loyalty platform adoption across multi-unit operators.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
