FSC Franchise Co., the parent company of Beef ‘O’ Brady’s and The Brass Tap, is reporting strong performance across both brands in the first quarter of 2025, driven by strategic innovation, smart portfolio management and a sharpened focus on guest value.
“The focus on Beef’s for the first quarter from a marketing standpoint was on value and on the introduction of steak products to our system,” said Chris Elliott, CEO of FSC Franchise Co. “It was a two-tiered strategy where we were attempting to keep our foot traffic in good shape by leaning into our daily specials and driving checks with the introduction of steaks. And it’s worked quite well for us.”
Beef ‘O’ Brady’s is tracking positive same-store sales for Q1, and the brand’s corporate store portfolio saw significant gains following a portfolio realignment in late 2024.
“We went from 34 corporate stores down to 28,” Elliott said. “We sold two of them to franchisees and they’re doing quite well. Both of them are double-digit positive year to date. We converted one to a Brass Tap, which was also a very positive move. It’s up 30% year to date. We actually closed three stores that were, frankly, subpar locations that we had been in 15-plus years. The trade areas had shifted and coincidentally the leases were all due and the landlords wanted to take the rent up. So it just didn’t make financial sense.”
The move increased the corporate average unit volume by $3,800 per week, bringing those locations to $100,000 above the system average.
“Because of the increase in the top line, we’ve seen the cost of goods come down, the labor come down, and the margins overall are up 320 basis points from 10.7 to 13.9,” said Elliott.
At The Brass Tap, updates to the tap set and new menu options are helping the brand align with evolving guest preferences.
“Historically, we’ve been really married to craft beers,” said Elliott. “Now we’ve put on domestics — more domestic beers, more import beers, even cocktails like margaritas, pre-made cocktails and sangria. And that’s done really well for us.”
The Brass Tap’s seasonal food truck menu continues to perform, and events remain a core pillar of its local marketing approach.
“We’ve learned that The Brass Tap is a really great venue for particularly large sporting events — the Super Bowl, the college football playoffs and March Madness,” Elliott said. “We’ve really leaned into making The Brass Tap a place you want to go with your friends to watch these big sporting events.”
The brand also saw early results from its first-ever national TV campaign in Q1, with significant improvement in store traffic and additional creative planned in Q2.
Looking ahead, FSC is forecasting 20 openings and 20 new franchise agreements across its brands in 2025, with The Brass Tap accounting for 12 of those openings and Beef ‘O’ Brady’s accounting for four. According to Elliott, the outlook remains optimistic.
“The Beef’s we opened in Chipley, Florida, in January is tracking to do $3.5 million, which is twice the system average,” he said. “That sets a new benchmark for what’s possible in that brand, and that’s with a 40-year-old brand that’s not fading, but actually opening stores that are setting new records.”
