Meeting Your Neighbors Never Tasted So Good, Over 60 Beers Tapping Soon in Marietta as Serial Entrepreneur Brothers Set to Open The Brass Tap

Meghl and Raj Patel were raised in a family of entrepreneurs. From gas stations to hospitality, their family has owned and operated businesses in a range of industries for their whole lives and the brothers have been very hands-on throughout the years, learning a lot along the way. Their most valued skill that they’ve picked up is customer service, so it makes sense that the duo’s next business venture is one with the customer experience at its core.

Raj and Meghl are planning to open their first The Brass Tap* location in Marietta, Georgia, in Spring 2024 with more locations on the horizon. With so many business opportunities available to them, The Brass Tap stood out for its welcoming and lively environment, with tasty craft beers on tap. The brothers can’t wait to offer this environment to their community, both for the benefit of their customers and employees. 

“We want it to feel like we are throwing a party every night and the customers are our guests,” said Meghl. “We want everyone to have a great time. However, we are also a business, so we want our employees to earn a good living and be comfortable in their working environment.”

1851 Franchise spoke with Raj and Meghl about their journey into franchising and their plans for the future. 

FEATURE 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?

Raj: Our family has always owned businesses. We currently own and operate a series of gas stations and some businesses in the hospitality industry, but we have some previous experience with restaurants as well. My brother and I have always been very hands-on with our family’s business ventures, and we are looking forward to transitioning into our newest venture with The Brass Tap, especially with our expertise in hospitality and customer service.

Meghl: One thing that attracted us to this business is our skill set in customer service, which translates easily into this industry. A high level of hospitality is hard to find now, and we can provide that for our customers.

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?

Meghl: We have both owned business privately and through franchise concepts. When you own something privately, you need to make decisions at every stage of the operation, which helps you learn the ins and outs of business ownership, but it can be difficult. Franchising requires you to adhere to guidelines, which also can be a challenge because it takes away some of the choice and freedom you would otherwise have, but that lack of choice is more than made up for with the level of support you receive from the brand, the brand recognition and the tried and tested model. The Brass Tap is very hands-on, has a personable team and is highly invested in our success. 

Raj: Franchising is a way of not having to reinvent the wheel. A privately owned business requires you to invent new systems all of the time, but a franchise gives you a model that works and the support of the corporate team. 

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

Raj: We believe The Brass Tap will be an exciting addition to the neighborhood helping cultivate the rapidly growing craft beer scene in Georgia. We are most looking forward to creating that environment for our community, where people look forward to coming together to celebrate for any reason. We know the importance of providing a space for people to share memories and have a good time, and we also know the impact of providing a high service level that keeps customers coming back. 

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

Raj: We have signed on for eight locations, so we want to pinpoint neighborhoods that would benefit from an environment like this so people have a place to get together to watch a sports game, celebrate a birthday or just spend time together. Ideally, we would like to aim for opening one location a year over the next eight years.

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

Raj: We are an owner-operated concept and plan to be very involved in our business. We know the positive impact our background in business and customer experience can have on our customers’ experience and we want them to feel completely welcome. The customers should feel comfortable enough to let us know if there is anything we can improve on so we can continue to provide an atmosphere they love. 

I also have worked with my brother my whole life. It is a bit like having a stunt double; we can always step in for each other and we have such a high level of trust in each other’s abilities. 

Meghl: We always say we want it to feel like we are throwing a party every night and the customers are our guests. We want everyone to have a great time. However, we are also a business, so we want our employees to earn a good living and be comfortable in their working environment.

As for working with my brother, people often say there are both positives and negatives in working with family. In my experience, the good completely outweighs the bad because you will always have guaranteed support.

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

Raj: Do your homework and explore your options. We were in the privately owned business sector for such a long time, and now we realize these opportunities were in front of us all the while. Now, we are seeing these franchise opportunities everywhere. There are so many industries with available franchise opportunities, and it’s a great way to get into owning your own business without reinventing the wheel.

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.