When Karl Waller decided to return to Marina, California, nearly 40 years after growing up there, he knew he wanted to build more than another place to grab a beer. He wanted to create the gathering place he believed his hometown lacked.
Today, that vision has paid off. The Brass Tap location in Marina was recently recognized at the brand’s conference with the Highest Sales Volume Award for 2025. For Waller, the recognition is the result of several years spent learning his market, adapting to what customers actually wanted and establishing the restaurant as an active part of the community.
“We were working side by side with the community to ensure everyone knew we weren’t just a business. We were part of the community,” Waller said. “Building those relationships has helped us numerous times as we’ve grown.”
Before becoming a franchisee, Waller spent 25 years as a supply chain executive with Amway Corporation. In his final corporate role, he served as director of global agribusiness operations, overseeing business entities across Mexico, China, Brazil and Washington state.
After taking an early retirement, Waller knew he wasn’t ready to stop working. Consulting in the supply chain industry didn’t provide the next chapter he was looking for, so he began considering business ownership. Waller had previously owned a Mail Boxes Etc. location before the concept became The UPS Store, and the experience gave him confidence in the value of operating within a proven system.
“I would never do this on my own because I buy into the franchise concept,” Waller said. “I’m buying a recipe, and if I follow it, chances are I will be successful.”
Waller discovered The Brass Tap after he and his wife visited a location near his home in Flower Mound, Texas. He liked the combination of food, craft beer and an elevated social atmosphere. Shortly afterward, he visited Marina, where he had grown up at Fort Ord and attended nearby Seaside High School.
The city was changing. New development was attracting more people to Marina, but Waller saw that the community still lacked the type of social and entertainment destination he had experienced at The Brass Tap.
Rather than waiting until opening day to introduce The Brass Tap to Marina, Waller began building relationships well before the first customer walked through the doors. For the groundbreaking ceremony, he invited the mayor, city council members, friends and other members of the community. It established the tone for how Waller wanted the business to operate.
At the same time, Waller leaned on The Brass Tap franchise system as he moved from managing global operations to restaurant ownership. “The support was great from the design standpoint to the training,” Waller said. “The internal support was amazing. I got a ton of support optimizing the site.”
Once the restaurant opened, Waller quickly saw confirmation of the opportunity he had identified years earlier. “One customer described [Marina] as a desert for this type of business — a nice place to eat, drink and have fun,” Waller said. “The entertainment aspect is also a key part of it. Not only do we have good food and drinks, but we are also the place to go for entertainment.”
Listening to Customers and Evolving the Business
Waller entered the business expecting craft beer to be one of the primary draws. It was, but he quickly discovered that customers were equally interested in the food.
“The big surprise is that we were pushing that we were a craft beer bar, and our customers were coming in just as much for food,” he said. “We’ve evolved now. It took six months or so to realize that we have a niche and people are coming in with kids and families because the food is good and it’s value-priced.”
Staffing presented another learning curve. The restaurant was busier than Waller initially anticipated, forcing him and his team to adjust their staffing strategy to meet demand. Rather than remaining attached to his original assumptions, Waller adapted. That willingness to respond to customers has continued to shape the business, particularly as food, entertainment and group events have become increasingly important pieces of the Marina location.
Special events now range from birthday and retirement parties to baby showers and other celebrations. “You name it, we do it,” Waller said. “There aren’t a lot of places where groups can socialize and celebrate these occasions.”
The location itself also gave Waller another tool. The Marina restaurant features an outdoor beer garden that takes advantage of Central California’s mild climate and provides additional space for customers and private parties.
“People love being outside,” he said. “That has been a huge part of our growth as well. We can accommodate parties out there.”
Waller also points to marketing, particularly social media, as one of the most important decisions his family made early on. He knew digital marketing mattered. He also knew he wasn’t necessarily the right person to execute it.
“One of the things we did right was have our daughter do the social media for us,” Waller said. “I understand the importance of it, but I knew I wasn’t the one to do it. So we had a dedicated social media person before we even opened. We were really educating the people that we were coming. That has been a huge part of our success.”
Waller’s corporate background has also shaped how he approaches ownership. “From day one, I didn’t want to be an owner-operator,” he said. “I didn’t want the success of the business to be tied to just me running the business. I don’t know how to bartend, serve or cook. So I spend my time working on the business, not in the business.”
That doesn’t mean Waller is disconnected from the restaurant. When he is there, he spends his time talking with guests and finding ways to support his employees. But his long-term objective was to create a management structure capable of running day-to-day operations without making him the single point the business depended on. It took roughly two years to reach that balance.
Waller still personally handles special events, in part because they represent an important opportunity to introduce new customers to the restaurant. “These people often have never been here before, so I want to make sure they have a great experience,” he said.
Years after returning to the community where he grew up, Waller has seen his original thesis about Marina validated. The Brass Tap has become a place for food and drinks, but also for families, parties, entertainment and community gatherings.
Receiving the Highest Sales Volume award for 2025 marks an important milestone, but Waller’s experience also shows that no single tactic drove the location’s performance. Instead, he points to a combination of community involvement, strong marketing, operational delegation and a willingness to listen to what customers wanted.
Now, the Waller’s are exploring the possibility of adding another concept at the same site, though he does not currently plan to open another The Brass Tap location. His biggest piece of advice for other franchisees is also one of the principles he has followed since before opening his doors.
“Get involved in the community and stay involved,” Waller said. “Starting that involvement early and staying engaged has really been the secret to our success.”
To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/brasstap/info.
The Brass Tap
SPONSORED
Karl Waller returned to the community where he grew up and found an opportunity to give Marina, California, a new place for food, entertainment and special events.
When Karl Waller decided to return to Marina, California, nearly 40 years after growing up there, he knew he wanted to build more than another place to grab a beer. He wanted to create the gathering place he believed his hometown lacked.
Today, that vision has paid off. The Brass Tap location in Marina was recently recognized at the brand’s conference with the Highest Sales Volume Award for 2025. For Waller, the recognition is the result of several years spent learning his market, adapting to what customers actually wanted and establishing the restaurant as an active part of the community.
“We were working side by side with the community to ensure everyone knew we weren’t just a business. We were part of the community,” Waller said. “Building those relationships has helped us numerous times as we’ve grown.”
Before becoming a franchisee, Waller spent 25 years as a supply chain executive with Amway Corporation. In his final corporate role, he served as director of global agribusiness operations, overseeing business entities across Mexico, China, Brazil and Washington state.
After taking an early retirement, Waller knew he wasn’t ready to stop working. Consulting in the supply chain industry didn’t provide the next chapter he was looking for, so he began considering business ownership. Waller had previously owned a Mail Boxes Etc. location before the concept became The UPS Store, and the experience gave him confidence in the value of operating within a proven system.
“I would never do this on my own because I buy into the franchise concept,” Waller said. “I’m buying a recipe, and if I follow it, chances are I will be successful.”
Waller discovered The Brass Tap after he and his wife visited a location near his home in Flower Mound, Texas. He liked the combination of food, craft beer and an elevated social atmosphere. Shortly afterward, he visited Marina, where he had grown up at Fort Ord and attended nearby Seaside High School.
The city was changing. New development was attracting more people to Marina, but Waller saw that the community still lacked the type of social and entertainment destination he had experienced at The Brass Tap.
Rather than waiting until opening day to introduce The Brass Tap to Marina, Waller began building relationships well before the first customer walked through the doors. For the groundbreaking ceremony, he invited the mayor, city council members, friends and other members of the community. It established the tone for how Waller wanted the business to operate.
At the same time, Waller leaned on The Brass Tap franchise system as he moved from managing global operations to restaurant ownership. “The support was great from the design standpoint to the training,” Waller said. “The internal support was amazing. I got a ton of support optimizing the site.”
Once the restaurant opened, Waller quickly saw confirmation of the opportunity he had identified years earlier. “One customer described [Marina] as a desert for this type of business — a nice place to eat, drink and have fun,” Waller said. “The entertainment aspect is also a key part of it. Not only do we have good food and drinks, but we are also the place to go for entertainment.”
Listening to Customers and Evolving the Business
Waller entered the business expecting craft beer to be one of the primary draws. It was, but he quickly discovered that customers were equally interested in the food.
“The big surprise is that we were pushing that we were a craft beer bar, and our customers were coming in just as much for food,” he said. “We’ve evolved now. It took six months or so to realize that we have a niche and people are coming in with kids and families because the food is good and it’s value-priced.”
Staffing presented another learning curve. The restaurant was busier than Waller initially anticipated, forcing him and his team to adjust their staffing strategy to meet demand. Rather than remaining attached to his original assumptions, Waller adapted. That willingness to respond to customers has continued to shape the business, particularly as food, entertainment and group events have become increasingly important pieces of the Marina location.
Special events now range from birthday and retirement parties to baby showers and other celebrations. “You name it, we do it,” Waller said. “There aren’t a lot of places where groups can socialize and celebrate these occasions.”
The location itself also gave Waller another tool. The Marina restaurant features an outdoor beer garden that takes advantage of Central California’s mild climate and provides additional space for customers and private parties.
“People love being outside,” he said. “That has been a huge part of our growth as well. We can accommodate parties out there.”
Waller also points to marketing, particularly social media, as one of the most important decisions his family made early on. He knew digital marketing mattered. He also knew he wasn’t necessarily the right person to execute it.
“One of the things we did right was have our daughter do the social media for us,” Waller said. “I understand the importance of it, but I knew I wasn’t the one to do it. So we had a dedicated social media person before we even opened. We were really educating the people that we were coming. That has been a huge part of our success.”
Waller’s corporate background has also shaped how he approaches ownership. “From day one, I didn’t want to be an owner-operator,” he said. “I didn’t want the success of the business to be tied to just me running the business. I don’t know how to bartend, serve or cook. So I spend my time working on the business, not in the business.”
That doesn’t mean Waller is disconnected from the restaurant. When he is there, he spends his time talking with guests and finding ways to support his employees. But his long-term objective was to create a management structure capable of running day-to-day operations without making him the single point the business depended on. It took roughly two years to reach that balance.
Waller still personally handles special events, in part because they represent an important opportunity to introduce new customers to the restaurant. “These people often have never been here before, so I want to make sure they have a great experience,” he said.
Years after returning to the community where he grew up, Waller has seen his original thesis about Marina validated. The Brass Tap has become a place for food and drinks, but also for families, parties, entertainment and community gatherings.
Receiving the Highest Sales Volume award for 2025 marks an important milestone, but Waller’s experience also shows that no single tactic drove the location’s performance. Instead, he points to a combination of community involvement, strong marketing, operational delegation and a willingness to listen to what customers wanted.
Now, the Waller’s are exploring the possibility of adding another concept at the same site, though he does not currently plan to open another The Brass Tap location. His biggest piece of advice for other franchisees is also one of the principles he has followed since before opening his doors.
“Get involved in the community and stay involved,” Waller said. “Starting that involvement early and staying engaged has really been the secret to our success.”
To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/brasstap/info.
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