Brass Tap begins construction in Allen

Images the property of Brian Brown/Beer in Big D.

Arriving in Texas by way of Chicago, brothers Sid and Viral Patel first got involved in the local industry after opening Choice Beverage in McKinney during the summer of 2010. Now, nearly five years later, the pair's reputation for service and selection has made their retail location the go-to small business bottle shop for craft beer drinkers in McKinney and the immediately surrounding area.

Looking to build on that success, the brothers joined forces with The Brass Tap in late 2014 for the purpose of opening a franchise of the company in Allen. The Florida-based group currently operates bars in Round Rock and Fort Worth, with others being built in San Antonio and Tyler, and still another rumored to be in the works for Frisco. Partnering with them just felt like the right fit, the brothers say, especially since The Brass Tap has processes in place that make it easier to get started, with training and support programs to help along the way.

As for the Allen location, construction has begun on a 3200 square foot space at 2540 N. Watters Road, a spot situated on the southeast corner of where that street intersects the Sam Rayburn Tollway. Part of the Ridgeview Village retail development, The Brass Tap will take up an endcap of one the brick and stucco buildings that sit in the shadow of the city's Cinemark Theatre.

The Allen pub will be The Brass Tap's second North Texas location.

It's the next logical step for both the Patels and the local market, given that they already have a well-established customer base and they're looking to operate in a part of town that is somewhat under-served when it comes to the craft beer community. The brothers hope to bring this particular section of suburbia a well-rounded overall experience, complete with great food, great beer and a great atmosphere.

Once open, they'll stock upwards of 200 packaged selections (i.e. bottles and cans) and pour beer from 80 taps, with a little less than half of their draft wall being reserved for local brews. Regular pint nights are also in the plans, as are the occasional beer dinner featuring entrées prepared inside the pub's full kitchen. They'll have a full bar as well, but based on the Brass Tap logo alone it's clear the intent is for the new place to primarily focus on craft beer.

Taking into account completion of build-out and the always unpredictable permit process, current timelines suggest that a grand opening will happen sometime in late July. When it does, the brothers promise to have a few surprises in store, as they've already been working to stockpile a few special beers to help celebrate the occasion.


The Brass Tap 
2540 N. Watters Road, Suite 180
Allen