Becky Samaniego spent two decades working in health care before moving into restaurant ownership. In September 2024, she and her husband, Robert, opened The Brass Tap, a 50-plus-unit American tavern franchise, in Lubbock, Texas. Nearly two years later, Becky says the experience has challenged her in ways she did not expect and introduced her to an entirely new career.
“I spent the last 20 years working in the hospital,” Becky said. “My husband has always wanted to own a bar, and he actually found The Brass Tap after visiting one of the locations. He went during a Halloween bingo event and just loved the atmosphere. I was looking to get out of the hospital after COVID, and we thought this would be a good journey for us to start together. He believed it would do well here in Lubbock, and so far, he's been right.”
Robert brought years of business experience as a FedEx contractor, but neither he nor Becky had worked in restaurant operations before opening their Brass Tap location. Becky likes to joke that her restaurant résumé consisted of waiting tables in high school. With no industry background to lean on, they relied heavily on the franchise system during those first few months.
"I wouldn't have made it without corporate," she said. "They taught me everything I know. I didn't know what cost of goods was or operating margins. They were there every step of the way, and even their IT department has been incredible whenever we've needed help."
As she became more comfortable operating the business, Becky focused on creating the kind of atmosphere that reflected Lubbock itself. She describes the city as a place where relationships matter, making The Brass Tap a natural fit for the community.
"Lubbock is a really big small town," she said. “Everybody knows somebody. You start talking to people and realize you have mutual friends or family. The Brass Tap fits that because it feels like a place where people can feel at home.”
Those relationships have become one of the biggest reasons for the restaurant's success since it opened. The Lubbock team works hard to make every guest feel welcome.
"You have to connect with your guests, and you have to connect with your team,” Becky said. “At the end of the day, we're all just people. It's all just wings and beer. People want to come in, relax and have a good time. We genuinely want people to have a memorable experience, and I think they can tell."
Opening The Brass Tap gave Becky a greater appreciation for the support system around her. Her family stepped in whenever needed, helping her balance the demands of opening a new business while learning an unfamiliar industry.
"My family has been incredibly supportive," she said. “I have four girls, and everybody stepped up while I was learning. I didn't realize how much I relied on them until we started this business.”
"It's been amazing to see how much the community wants us to do well," she said. "People have really embraced us."
Becky and Robert hope to expand their Brass Tap portfolio and are exploring the possibility of opening another location in El Paso when the timing is right.
For prospective franchisees, she says the experience is about much more than learning how to operate a restaurant. It's an opportunity to grow personally while becoming part of a larger community.
"Be prepared to grow," she said. "You're going to learn a lot, meet so many people and build relationships you never expected. Your family gets bigger, your friend group gets bigger, and you become part of your community in a different way."
Looking back on her first two years, Becky says the biggest surprise was discovering she was capable of succeeding in an industry she never saw herself being a part of.
“I've learned so much about myself, I've been able to do this alongside my family, and we've been able to give something back to our community,” she said. “We're just getting started, and I'm excited to see what's next.
To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/brasstap/info.
The Brass Tap
SPONSORED
Without prior restaurant experience, Becky Samaniego leaned on The Brass Tap's franchise system, her family and the local community to launch a successful neighborhood tavern.
Becky Samaniego spent two decades working in health care before moving into restaurant ownership. In September 2024, she and her husband, Robert, opened The Brass Tap, a 50-plus-unit American tavern franchise, in Lubbock, Texas. Nearly two years later, Becky says the experience has challenged her in ways she did not expect and introduced her to an entirely new career.
“I spent the last 20 years working in the hospital,” Becky said. “My husband has always wanted to own a bar, and he actually found The Brass Tap after visiting one of the locations. He went during a Halloween bingo event and just loved the atmosphere. I was looking to get out of the hospital after COVID, and we thought this would be a good journey for us to start together. He believed it would do well here in Lubbock, and so far, he's been right.”
Robert brought years of business experience as a FedEx contractor, but neither he nor Becky had worked in restaurant operations before opening their Brass Tap location. Becky likes to joke that her restaurant résumé consisted of waiting tables in high school. With no industry background to lean on, they relied heavily on the franchise system during those first few months.
"I wouldn't have made it without corporate," she said. "They taught me everything I know. I didn't know what cost of goods was or operating margins. They were there every step of the way, and even their IT department has been incredible whenever we've needed help."
As she became more comfortable operating the business, Becky focused on creating the kind of atmosphere that reflected Lubbock itself. She describes the city as a place where relationships matter, making The Brass Tap a natural fit for the community.
"Lubbock is a really big small town," she said. “Everybody knows somebody. You start talking to people and realize you have mutual friends or family. The Brass Tap fits that because it feels like a place where people can feel at home.”
Those relationships have become one of the biggest reasons for the restaurant's success since it opened. The Lubbock team works hard to make every guest feel welcome.
"You have to connect with your guests, and you have to connect with your team,” Becky said. “At the end of the day, we're all just people. It's all just wings and beer. People want to come in, relax and have a good time. We genuinely want people to have a memorable experience, and I think they can tell."
Opening The Brass Tap gave Becky a greater appreciation for the support system around her. Her family stepped in whenever needed, helping her balance the demands of opening a new business while learning an unfamiliar industry.
"My family has been incredibly supportive," she said. “I have four girls, and everybody stepped up while I was learning. I didn't realize how much I relied on them until we started this business.”
"It's been amazing to see how much the community wants us to do well," she said. "People have really embraced us."
Becky and Robert hope to expand their Brass Tap portfolio and are exploring the possibility of opening another location in El Paso when the timing is right.
For prospective franchisees, she says the experience is about much more than learning how to operate a restaurant. It's an opportunity to grow personally while becoming part of a larger community.
"Be prepared to grow," she said. "You're going to learn a lot, meet so many people and build relationships you never expected. Your family gets bigger, your friend group gets bigger, and you become part of your community in a different way."
Looking back on her first two years, Becky says the biggest surprise was discovering she was capable of succeeding in an industry she never saw herself being a part of.
“I've learned so much about myself, I've been able to do this alongside my family, and we've been able to give something back to our community,” she said. “We're just getting started, and I'm excited to see what's next.
To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/brasstap/info.
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