The Incentive Package
FSC Franchise Co., the Tampa-based multi-brand franchisor behind Beef 'O' Brady's and The Brass Tap, is waiving its $25,000 initial franchise fee for qualified military veterans and eliminating royalty payments entirely during the first year of operations for those who open within 12 months of signing a franchise agreement. The program, announced on Veterans Day 2026, also layers in peer networking, SBA-linked education, and dedicated recruitment infrastructure — broadening what has typically been a one-line discount into a structured pipeline.
Veterans in the System
The company currently counts 14 veteran franchisees across its two casual-dining brands, representing approximately 12% of total franchise owners system-wide. FSC is positioning that cohort as proof of concept and as a referral asset: prospective franchisees will be able to speak directly with operating veteran owners, including Terry Snavely, a multi-unit Brass Tap operator. Chris Elliott, CEO of FSC Franchise Co., framed the initiative in operational terms rather than purely goodwill. "Veterans bring a lot of qualities to restaurant ownership. They understand accountability, how to lead a team and what it means to show up every day," Elliott said. "We want to make sure more people coming out of the military know that franchising is an option for them."
To anchor the peer-support component, FSC is launching a quarterly virtual franchisee group facilitated by Jim Keenam, director of franchise operations for The Brass Tap and a veteran himself. Keenam is separately partnering with Boots to Business — a free entrepreneurship program administered through the U.S. Small Business Administration — to deliver franchising education sessions to veterans and transitioning service members. The dual track addresses both the recruitment funnel and ongoing operator retention, two pressure points that multi-unit franchisors across the restaurant and foodservice sector routinely cite as growth constraints.
Expansion Backdrop
The veteran program arrives against a broader expansion push at FSC. The company signed 20 franchise deals across its three brands through the third quarter of 2026 and is targeting 15 restaurant openings before year-end. A further 21 openings are planned for 2027, with Beef 'O' Brady's and The Brass Tap each slated for seven new locations. All three FSC brands — which include fast-casual chain Newk's Eatery — appeared on the 2026 Franchise Times Top 400 ranking. With more than 250 locations nationwide, FSC is deploying the veterans initiative as a recruitment differentiator at a moment when qualified multi-unit candidates are increasingly contested across the franchise development landscape.
Additional program components include a Veteran Partner Lunch scheduled for FSC's national brand conference next summer and dedicated veteran-focused landing pages for Beef 'O' Brady's and The Brass Tap franchising sites. Together, the initiatives suggest FSC is treating veteran recruitment less as a periodic promotion and more as a durable segment strategy — one that ties brand identity to community positioning while addressing the practical cost barriers that discourage first-time franchise applicants from military backgrounds.
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.
