The Incentive Structure
FSC Franchise Co., the Tampa-based multi-brand franchisor behind Beef 'O' Brady's and The Brass Tap, is waiving the $25,000 initial franchise fee for qualified military veterans and eliminating royalties for the first 12 months of operations — provided franchisees open within one year of signing their area development agreement. The program, announced November 11, also covers educational resources and a new peer support network, lowering the financial and operational barriers to entry for veterans transitioning out of service.
Veterans currently account for 14 of FSC's franchise owners across its two casual-dining concepts, representing roughly 12% of the franchisee base. The company operates more than 250 locations nationwide across Beef 'O' Brady's (120-plus units), The Brass Tap (50-plus units), and Newk's Eatery (approximately 100 units). "Veterans bring a lot of qualities to restaurant ownership. They understand accountability, how to lead a team and what it means to show up every day," said Chris Elliott, CEO of FSC Franchise Co. "If we can make that first step a little easier, that's something worth doing."
Peer Network and Pipeline
Beyond the financial incentives, FSC is standing up a quarterly virtual peer group exclusively for veteran franchisees, facilitated by Jim Keenam, director of franchise operations for The Brass Tap and a military veteran himself. The sessions are designed to give operators a structured channel to share unit-level challenges and exchange operational best practices — a model borrowed from the military's own after-action review culture. Keenam is also partnering with Boots to Business, the U.S. Small Business Administration's entrepreneurial education program, to run franchising-specific sessions for active service members in transition.
Additional program elements include a Veteran Partner Lunch at FSC's national brand conference next summer and dedicated veteran-focused franchise landing pages for both Beef 'O' Brady's and The Brass Tap. Prospective franchisees will have direct access to existing veteran operators, including Terry Snavely, a multi-unit Brass Tap franchisee who has expanded within the system.
Development Momentum
The veterans initiative arrives as FSC accelerates its broader unit-growth agenda. Through Q3 2026, the company signed 20 franchise deals across all three brands and projects 15 restaurant openings by year-end. A further 21 openings are slated for 2027, including seven each for Beef 'O' Brady's and The Brass Tap. All three concepts also earned placement on the 2026 Franchise Times Top 400 ranking, underscoring the system's development credibility with prospective multi-unit operators.
For the casual-dining and craft-beer bar segments, veteran-focused franchise incentives have become an increasingly visible recruiting tool, with several national chains citing military franchisee cohorts as among their highest-performing operators by unit-level metrics. FSC's royalty-relief structure — essentially deferring royalty income for up to 12 months — is a meaningful concession for a franchisor of its scale, and signals confidence in veteran operators' ability to ramp quickly. Operators weighing entry-level franchise costs can find broader context in our coverage of franchise development trends and casual-dining unit economics.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
