SyscoSysco
Mandatoryase agreements, including price terms, with suppliers for the benefit of our franchisees. Specifically, our supply management group currently negotiates purchase arrangements with Sysco, and may negot
From the filings
HQ-led decisions
The Brass Tap
Full service restaurantSoftware purchasing at The Brass Tap is controlled at the headquarters level by a C-suite team led by CEO Chris Elliott and CFO John Massari. The 49-unit craft beer bar chain, primarily franchised and backed by private equity firm CapitalSpring, mandates Sysco for supply chain but discloses no other required technology platforms in its 2026 FDD. With 47 franchised locations and a $1.38 million average unit volume, the addressable market is concentrated but offers a clear path to a centralized sale.
For software vendors selling into US franchise brands.
Live signals
Total units
49
47 franchised
Unit growth YoY
—
vs prior filing
AUV
$1.38M
Item 19, 2025
Royalty
5%
of gross sales
Ad fund
2%
national + local
Initial fee
$25K
per unit
Investment range
$535K–$1.74M
all-in, Item 7
Procurement
Approved supplier
from the filing
Item 19
Claims
from the filing
Ongoing fee load
What the operator pays every month
The recurring percentage of gross sales named in this filing, before rent, labour or any technology fee.
7%of gross sales (FY2026)
15% reference
Mandated & recommended tech
The systems vendors compete with
1 of these are mandated in the franchise agreement. Each is named in Item 11 of the filing, the incumbents a challenger must displace or integrate with.
Franchisor behaviours
What the franchisor requires
25 requirements the franchisor states in this filing, each in its own words; 3 explicit no's; 6 questions the text does not settle, which is not a no.
Accounting
Does the franchisor have direct or independent electronic access to the franchisee's financial, sales or customer records?
YesItem 11
We have independent access to the information gathered and generated by the Computer System.
Must the franchisee submit periodic financial statements (monthly, quarterly or annual) to the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
On the first business day of each month, a report on the Brass Tap Bar’s Gross Sales and Adjusted Gross Sales during the immediately preceding calendar month;
How the franchisor buys
Is there a franchisee advisory council, association or committee?
YesItem 11
We currently have a franchise advisory council (“FAC”) comprised of franchisees that advises us on advertising policies, menu, product development, purchasing, franchise sales, training, operations and other 27 ACTIVE 719551593v2 matters.
Does the franchisor reserve the right to change designated suppliers or systems at any time?
YesItem 11
We may authorize or require you to use different forms of hardware or software from the same supplier, and may require you to discontinue use of a Computer System and to purchase another Computer System which we designate.
How much revenue did the franchisor and its affiliates earn from franchisee purchases in the last fiscal year?
1652271Item 8
In the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025, our parent FSC’s total revenues were $54,010,671 and it received $1,652,271 or 3.1% of its total revenues in rebates from purchases by Brass Tap Bars and Beef 'O' Brady's® Family Sport Pubs.
Does the franchisor or an affiliate receive rebates, commissions or other revenue from designated or approved suppliers?
YesItem 8
Our parent FSC may receive rebates based on Brass Tap Bar purchases of oil, mac and cheese and beer cheese.
Item 8 gives this proportion in one of two shapes: separate percentages for establishing the business and for operating it, or one figure covering "establishing and operating" together. Where they are separate, answer with the operating percentage; where the passage gives only the combined figure, answer with that. What percentage of the franchisee's purchases must come from designated or approved suppliers?
80Item 8
approximately 80% to 95% of your total purchases in the continuing operation of the Brass Tap Bar.
Does the franchisor charge a fee to evaluate a proposed supplier?
YesItem 8
You must pay our then-current evaluation fee.
Can a franchisee propose a new supplier for the franchisor's approval?
YesItem 8
If you wish to purchase, lease or use any such items from another supplier, you or the supplier must submit a written request to us, which request we must approve in writing before you make any purchases of that product or from that supplier.
Communications
Does the franchisor own or control the business telephone numbers, or take them over when the agreement ends?
YesFranchise agreement
Upon termination or expiration of the Franchise Agreement we will have the right and authority to ownership of the Numbers and Listings.
Data and IT
Must the franchisee comply with PCI, data-security or cybersecurity standards set by the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
(ii) PCI Compliance:
Franchise management
Must the franchisee participate in a customer-satisfaction or net-promoter survey program?
YesFranchise agreement
You agree to present to your customers such evaluation forms that we periodically prescribe and to participate and/or request your 30 FRANCHISE AGREEMENT ACTIVE 722967239v1 customers to participate in any surveys performed by us or on our behalf.
Does the franchisor conduct periodic inspections, audits or evaluations of the franchised business?
YesFranchise agreement
We have the right at any time during your business hours to inspect and audit, or cause to be inspected and audited, your (if you are a Business Entity) and the Brass Tap Bar’s business, bookkeeping and accounting records, purchasing records, advertising and marketing records and expenditures, sales and income tax…
Can the franchisor change the operations manual and brand standards unilaterally?
YesFranchise agreement
The Manuals may be modified, updated and revised (in written or electronic format) by us from time to time to reflect changes in System Standards.
Must the franchisor approve the franchisee's site or location before opening?
YesFranchise agreement
You have applied for a franchise to own and operate a Brass Tap Bar only at a location we have approved (the “Site”).
Marketing
Is a minimum grand opening advertising spend required?
YesItem 7
You must conduct a grand opening advertising campaign which must include promotional giveaways, such as beverage items and logoed merchandise; be approved by us in advance; and, be conducted for a total of 60 days (30 days before opening, and 30 days after opening, of your Brass Tap Bar).
Is the franchisee required to spend a minimum amount on local advertising or marketing, as a percentage of sales or a fixed amount?
YesFranchise agreement
After you spend $5,000 on local advertising initiatives during the first 5 months of business (see Section 5.9 above), you must spend a minimum amount equal to 1.5% of the monthly Adjusted Gross Sales of your Brass Tap Bar for local advertising.
Must the franchisee participate in a regional advertising cooperative when one exists?
YesFranchise agreement
We may require that you join an advertising cooperative, if one is formed, in the geographic area in which your Brass Tap Bar is located.
Operations
Must the franchisee buy products from a designated distributor?
YesItem 8
We currently require you to purchase all food products from our designated supplier, Sysco.
Must equipment be purchased from designated or approved suppliers?
YesItem 8
You must purchase the required Computer System and Software (as defined in Item 11) from our designated or approved suppliers.
Payments
Are royalties and other fees collected by automatic bank debit (ACH or electronic funds transfer) from the franchisee's account?
YesFranchise agreement
We require you to pay all payments of the Royalties or any other amounts due us under this Agreement to us by electronic funds transfer.
Point of sale
Must the franchisee use a specific point-of-sale system designated or approved by the franchisor?
YesItem 11
We currently require you to use the Toast POS System, provided by Toast, Inc.
Does the franchisor have independent access to the data in the franchisee's POS or computer system?
YesItem 11
We have independent access to the information gathered and generated by the Computer System.
Training
Can the franchisor charge the franchisee for additional, refresher or remedial training?
YesFranchise agreement
We may require the Designated Operators and/or other previously trained and experienced managers or employees to attend periodic refresher training courses at such times and locations that we designate.
Is attendance at an annual convention or conference mandatory for the franchisee?
YesFranchise agreement
We may designate that attendance at an annual meeting by you and/or your Operating Manager is mandatory.
The filing answers no to 3 questions
- Must the franchisee use an accounting or bookkeeping system designated or approved by the franchisor?Franchise agreement
- Is the franchisor or an affiliate itself a supplier of required products, services or systems?Item 8
- Is the franchisee prohibited from operating its own website or social media accounts, or required to use pages the franchisor provides?Franchise agreement
The vendor opportunity at The Brass Tap
The Brass Tap operates 49 locations, 47 of which are franchised, generating an average unit volume of $1,382,100. The brand is part of the CapitalSpring private equity portfolio, alongside sibling concept Beef O'Brady's. For software vendors, the immediate addressable market is those 47 franchised units, concentrated in Texas (15), Maryland (9), Florida (8), California (8), and Georgia (6). The operator base is highly fragmented: 51 single-unit operators and only 6 multi-unit operators, none with more than 9 locations. This structure means a headquarters-led sale is the only scalable path—you are not selling through a handful of large franchisees.
Who controls software purchasing
Purchasing authority sits at the corporate level. The 2026 FDD lists Chris Elliott as Director and Chief Executive Officer, Michelle Knight as Chief Administrative Officer, John Massari as Chief Financial Officer, Scott SirLouis as Chief Operating Officer, and Heather Boggs as Chief Marketing Officer. No chief information or technology officer is named, so the buying center likely revolves around the CEO, CFO, and COO. When pitching, frame your solution against the operational and financial metrics that matter to a PE-backed, full-service restaurant chain: labor efficiency, beverage cost control, and unit-level profitability across a small but geographically dispersed system.
Mandated and current tech stack
The only technology mandate disclosed in the 2026 FDD is Sysco for supply chain. No point-of-sale, back-office, labor scheduling, inventory management, or guest engagement platforms are listed as required or recommended. This absence is itself a signal: either the brand has not standardized its tech stack, or it chooses not to disclose those mandates in the FDD. Either way, vendors should approach the conversation prepared to demonstrate integration with Sysco and to fill gaps in operational tech that a 49-unit craft beer concept would typically need.
Procurement, renewals, and timing
The FDD does not include an Item 8 procurement extract, so the formal purchasing model—whether designated supplier, approved supplier, or open—is not publicly documented. Franchise agreements carry a 10-year initial term. Renewal is conditional: franchisees must be in good standing and commit at least $100,000 to re-image, remodel, or relocate the bar to current specifications. These renewal events, spaced across the system, may create natural openings for technology upgrades. Additionally, CapitalSpring's ownership could drive standardization initiatives that open a system-wide RFP window at any time.
How to read the The Brass Tap FDD
The full 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document is embedded below. Key sections for software vendors: Item 1 lists the executives above and confirms the franchisor entity. Item 11 details the Sysco mandate and the absence of other named technology vendors. Item 17 outlines the renewal conditions and the $100,000 capital expenditure requirement. Item 20 provides the unit counts and state-level footprint. Use this primary source to validate every claim before you build your pitch.
For a ranked target list of franchise brands matched to your software category, FranCloud can help you prioritize outreach based on tech gaps, unit growth, and decision-maker access.
Questions vendors ask
The Brass Tap, answered from the filing
The C-suite controls purchasing. Key contacts include CEO Chris Elliott and CFO John Massari. The FDD does not name a dedicated CIO or CTO, so initial outreach should target the finance and operations leadership.
The 2026 FDD mandates Sysco for supply chain. No point-of-sale, labor, inventory, or other operational software mandates are disclosed. The tech stack beyond Sysco appears open or is not publicly documented in the filing.
There are 49 total units: 47 franchised and 2 company-owned. The brand operates in a small, concentrated footprint, with top states including Texas (15), Maryland (9), Florida (8), and California (8).
The 2026 FDD does not include an Item 8 procurement extract, so the formal model—designated supplier, approved supplier, or open—is not disclosed. The only known mandate is Sysco for supply chain.
Franchise agreements run 10 years. Renewal requires a $100,000 re-image or relocation commitment. With no disclosed recent unit growth, windows may align with renewal cycles or any upcoming system standardization push by the PE owner, CapitalSpring.
The 2026 FDD is filed with state franchise regulators. You can review the full document in the embedded viewer below to verify mandates, executive contacts, and unit counts directly from the source.
Source
Read the filing itself
Every number on this page traces back to this document. Read it in full, page by page. Buy the original PDF to download, search, and annotate it.
View only A one-time purchase: the original filing, yours to keep.
FDD alert
Tell me when this brand refiles.
We’ll email you the moment The Brass Tap files a new annual FDD, usually the freshest signal of a vendor change.
Operator footprint
Who runs the locations
54 operators run 57 mapped locations. 3 of them are multi-unit. Aggregate counts from the filing; no names.
Operators by units owned
Single-unit51
2–9 units3
Top states by locations
| TX | 15 |
|---|---|
| FL | 8 |
| CA | 8 |
| MD | 7 |
| GA | 4 |
Ownership
The portfolio behind The Brass Tap
pe_firm of CapitalSpring.
Sibling brands
Related Full service restaurant brands
Primary franchise filings · updated August 2026. Every figure is source-traceable and QA-checked.