A four-member family partnership led by 23-year-old Ohm Patel has signed a three-unit franchise agreement with The Brass Tap, bringing the craft beer and entertainment tavern concept to Middle Tennessee for the first time. Locations are planned for Brentwood, Murfreesboro and Franklin — communities along the fast-growing Nashville suburban corridor.
The Deal
The agreement, executed alongside family members Chan Patel, Sanjay Patel and Shivam Patel, represents the brand's first footprint in Tennessee. The group intends to open its initial unit in Brentwood before sequencing the remaining two sites, though final locations remain subject to market evaluation. Each venue will carry The Brass Tap's standard format: an extensive selection of local and regional craft beers, specialty cocktails, premium wines, and a chef-driven shareable menu, complemented by entertainment programming including live music, trivia nights, sports watch parties and community events.
The Brass Tap currently operates more than 50 locations across 16 states and is a unit of FSC Franchise Co., the Tampa-based multi-brand franchisor that also operates Beef 'O' Brady's and Newk's Eatery across a combined portfolio of more than 250 domestic locations.
Market Context
Middle Tennessee has emerged as one of the more competitive battlegrounds in the casual-dining and bar-and-grill segment, driven by sustained population inflows to the Nashville metro area and its surrounding suburbs. Brentwood and Franklin in particular rank among the highest-income suburban communities in the Southeast, making them attractive for operators seeking a premium price-point positioning. The Brass Tap's entertainment-led model — designed around recurring weekly events and community programming — is built for exactly this kind of high-traffic suburban node, where competition for the craft beer bar and entertainment venue category remains relatively fragmented.
For FSC Franchise Co., the Tennessee signing continues a development cadence built on identifying suburban operators with hospitality backgrounds. Chris Elliott, CEO of FSC Franchise Co., said the Patel family's track record in hotel and retail management made them a strong fit. "Every new signing is a testament to the strength of our business model and the demand for a premium bar and grill experience," Elliott said, noting the brand's interest in backing entrepreneurs with established community roots.
Franchisee Profile
Ohm Patel, who graduated from Mississippi State University with a degree in kinesiology and business, conducted due diligence that included a visit to an existing Brass Tap unit in Huntsville, Alabama, and attendance at the brand's Discovery Day at its Tampa headquarters before committing. His family has operated hotels and retail businesses in the United States for more than two decades, a background the group views as foundational to the new venture. The deal reflects a broader trend in franchise development within the bar-and-grill segment, where multi-generational family groups with hospitality operating experience are increasingly attractive to franchisors seeking stable, community-embedded operators.
The Tennessee agreement adds to The Brass Tap's active expansion push and signals continued franchisor confidence in the suburban entertainment-dining format as a growth vehicle heading into 2027.
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.
