Franchisees Kush and Prapti Patel have signed a lease for a second The Brass Tap location in the St. Louis area, this one at 9541 Watson Road in the Crestwood Crossing plaza in Crestwood, Missouri. The signing comes roughly eight months after the couple opened their first unit in Olivette and keeps them on track toward a five-location footprint in the market.
The Crestwood restaurant will occupy a brand-new building within the Crestwood Crossing development and will carry the full Brass Tap format: an extensive draft lineup anchored by local and regional craft beers, a curated cocktail program, and a chef-led menu of elevated pub fare. The brand, which operates more than 50 locations across 16 states, positions itself as a premium bar-and-grill concept capable of drawing both dedicated craft-beer drinkers and family dining guests — a range the Patels say was central to their decision to franchise with the brand.
Partners Behind the Deal
Kush Patel grew up in his family's liquor business, giving him early exposure to the beverage retail side of hospitality. Prapti Patel contributed restaurant operations and corporate IT experience. The couple sought a concept they could build as a joint venture and settled on The Brass Tap for its blend of a serious beer program and a full dining menu. "St. Louis has such a strong beer culture — it's a big deal here," Kush said. "We didn't just want a bar; we wanted a place with a full dining menu that appealed to a wide range of customers."
Their development plan calls for five Brass Tap units in the St. Louis area, making them one of the brand's larger single-market operators. That kind of multi-unit commitment reflects a broader trend in franchise-driven bar-and-grill expansion as operators seek concepts with differentiated beverage platforms — particularly local craft beer — to stand out in competitive casual-dining corridors.
FSC Franchise Co. Context
The Brass Tap is owned by FSC Franchise Co., the Tampa-based restaurant franchise group that also operates Beef 'O' Brady's and Newk's Eatery. FSC CEO Chris Elliott described the Patels as "the right partners in the right market" and said the Crestwood signing reflects continued demand for premium bar-and-grill concepts in suburban trade areas.
For operators and franchise developers watching the craft-beer-focused restaurant segment, the Brass Tap model is worth tracking: the brand leans on hyperlocal tap selections and community programming — live music, trivia nights, tap takeovers — to build repeat visits beyond the meal occasion. In a market like St. Louis, where brewing heritage runs deep, that localization strategy carries particular weight. The Crestwood opening will add another data point on whether suburban plaza sites can sustain a premium tavern concept at multi-unit scale.
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.