Husband-Wife-Son Team Begin Life as Houston The Brass Tap Franchise Owners

The desire to own their own a business is nothing new to Tommy and Honey Bumstead. In fact, they have been looking into purchasing a franchise for the past 15 years. With a highly-accomplished career as an executive, including his current position as Global Vice President of Learning and Development at M.C. Dean, and a three-decade career as a science teacher, the two have found quite a lot of professional success. However, when searching for the right franchise to partner with, they kept coming up empty.

That was, until they discovered The Brass Tap*. With the perfect combination of delicious food and a strong corporate team, Tommy and Honey knew the brewery franchise was the one for them. Along with their son Blythe, the family moved back to Houston, Texas and is now set to open the first of a planned six The Brass Tap locations.

1851 spoke to Honey and Blythe to hear more about their journey into franchising and their plans for the future.

PROFILE QUESTIONS

1851 Franchise: Frame your personal story for us. What did you do before franchising, and how did you decide franchising made sense for you?

Honey: I am a retired science teacher, having taught on and off for 30 years. We lived in Saudi Arabia for 22 years as a family, and that is actually where our son Blythe was raised. 

We always wanted to own our own business. It is something we have been looking into for the past 15 years or so, and franchising seemed like the way to go. A franchise has a proven model and evidence that it works. After looking at a wide variety of brands and concepts, we settled on The Brass Tap, and we could not be more confident that it is the perfect brand for us. We loved the upper management team as soon as we met them. 

We also really liked that while the brand has recognition throughout the U.S. and is well established, it isn’t so big like McDonald’s. With a brand like that, we felt like we would just be one of tens of thousands. 

So we decided to pursue The Brass Tap and went out to Tampa to meet the corporate team. That really cemented our decision. 

Blythe: I initially started my career as a financial analyst. I worked for a national oil company in Saudi Arabia when I was 25, even though most of my colleagues were in their 50s. I was the youngest person in the company, but my growth was capped because I wasn’t from the country and that meant I couldn’t fill the higher level roles. 

I spoke to my parents and when I heard about their plan to franchise with The Brass Tap, I was immediately interested in getting involved. Having this family business allows me to create something for myself and have some control over my future. 

1851: What was your perception of franchising prior to becoming a franchisee, and what do you want people to know about franchising now that you are in it?

Honey: Our perception of franchising beforehand was that when you bought the franchise, you were buying the name brand. That is true to some degree, because when we were looking for a franchise, that’s what first attracted us. We asked each other, “Have you heard of that brand? What is their reputation?” and things like that. 

When we learned more about franchising and The Brass Tap in particular, we learned it was so much more than a brand name. It is really beneficial being a franchisee because of the support that you get from the corporate team, especially as someone who is new to the bar and food industry. 

The beauty of a franchise is it's a proven product. 

1851: What made you pick this brand? What excites you most about this company?

Honey: We love how helpful The Brass Tap has been. We have had support all the way from negotiating our lease to selecting an architect and a contractor. We're about to open, and they're bringing trainers to train our employees. I can't even imagine opening without this support.

Blythe: It's a business in a box. The idea behind a franchise is that they have all the documentation that you need. They have checklists that you follow to get things open, making it so much easier for you. Everything is already there for you, and you just have to apply it. That's where success and failure happens at the franchise level. If you're investing in a franchise, you should be choosing that franchise based off of those little things that set them apart and because you believe in their model.

1851: What do you hope to achieve with your business? What are your plans for growth?

Honey: We actually purchased the rights to open six The Brass Taps in the Houston area. Growing our business is the first thing we think about every morning when we wake up. We are always considering how we are going to make this first one successful so that we can purchase another.

Blythe: When we are hiring people, we have a vision that these people need to be able to gain experience in other roles beyond their own, so that whenever we do grow, they can grow with us. We want to ensure that we are successful at the multi-unit-ownership level by building a strong foundation.

1851: What is the one thing about your story you want us to know?

Honey: One thing that has been eye-opening for me is the way this process has taken longer than I anticipated. It will be three years from the time when we first purchased our franchise and paid our franchise fees to when we open. I was super gung-ho to get started and we're so ready, but you need to be patient. The Brass Tap is absolutely the right choice for us, and it has the best craft beer you can find. We are looking forward to opening soon and making this a great place for our community. 

1851: What advice do you have for other people thinking about becoming a franchise owner?

Blythe: Success doesn't happen overnight, even though a lot of people expect it to. They want the stock that rises insanely quickly or to win the lottery, but you need to be realistic. You have to work towards a goal to achieve it. There are obstacles that will get in your way and may delay your success, but you have to keep your goal in mind and keep working towards it.  

ABOUT THE BRASS TAP 

Founded by Jeff Martin in Tampa, Florida in 2008, The Brass Tap is an upscale craft beer bar with 60 taps and 200 varieties of local, national and international beers. The restaurant also features craft cocktails, a premium selection of wines and a food menu designed around community and sharing. The Brass Tap has a unique vibe that is upbeat, high energy and casual all at the same time. You will also find live music, social events, high-definition televisions to view all the sporting action, as well as an open-air patio. With more than 35 locations currently open and 50 in development, The Brass Tap is positioned to quadruple in size in the Southeast and beyond. In June 2012, FSC Franchise Co. LLC acquired the rights to franchise The Brass Tap. For more info, visit www.thebrasstap.com.