Popular craft beer franchise plans to expand to Manatee County. Here’s what to know.

A new player is coming to the craft beer scene in the Bradenton area.

The Brass Tap announced this week that Tim Dean and Kimberly Button have signed an agreement to open franchises over the next five years in Lakewood Ranch, Parrish, Ruskin, Sarasota and Wimauma.

The Brass Tap typically operates in a 3,200-square-foot space with a patio.

Offerings include 60 craft and domestic beers which are continuously rotating, plus a full bar, and food offerings, Chris Elliott, CEO of The Brass Tap, said this week in a phone interview with the Bradenton Herald..

Although the centerpiece of each restaurant is the bar, about 40% of sales are for food offerings, Elliott said.

“Beer and burgers go together,” he said.

“The way we position ourselves is as a social gathering place for adults. We offer an intimate spot to watch a game or to bring your out-of-town relatives,” he said.

The first Brass Tap locations

The founders of The Brass Tap opened their first location in the Shoppes at Wiregrass in Wesley Chapel in October 2008. They opened a second location in the Brandon Town Center in Brandon in October 2010.

There are now 44 locations open, 10 under construction and about 100 more deals in progress across 14 states, Elliott said.

Most of the stores that have opened are in Florida, Texas and California, he said.

When and where will the new Brass Tap open?

Locations and a timetable for opening the new restaurants have not been announced. Button and Dean were not available for an interview with the Bradenton Herald, but a news release provided some information about the new franchise owners.

Button is a graduate of Manatee High School in Bradenton, while Dean is a graduate of Gaither High School in Tampa.

“Dean and Button grew up in the Tampa Bay area and have known each other for more than 20 years. They went to the University of South Florida together and even worked together at their first job,” The Brass Tap said in the release.

Dean has been in retail management since he was 15 and has managed several businesses, while Button managed a pizza restaurant that grew from seven locations to 22 within three years, according to the news release.