Tap 42 Craft Kitchen + Bar is South Florida’s premier gastropub, serving delicious cocktails, cuisine and playing some of your favorite sporting games. The Florida-based brand has rapidly grown to success across Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, Coral Gables, Aventura, Doral, Coral Springs, Davie and now Kendall.
The Kendall location which opens its doors on January 5, is an exciting milestone for the brand. Located within The Palms At Town and Country Center, Tap 42 is excited to introduce itself to a new clientele in the area. Now, with nine locations in the South Florida market, there is no doubt that TapCo Restaurant Group is taking the local culinary scene by storm.
Ocean Drive had the opportunity to catch up with Alex Rudolph, partner and VP of Development at TapCo Restaurant Group to learn all about this expansion. Rudolph has played an integral role in the success of Tap 42 and we were so excited to get some of his intell on the industry and of course, pick his brain on some go-to menu items.
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Tap 42 has grown immensely, what is the secret to your success?
I think what has made Tap 42 so successful as we’ve continued to grow and expand throughout South Florida is that we are what we like to call a “Category Killer”. We are more upscale and higher quality than the traditional “sports bar” or “gastropub”, but also less expensive and more fun than your typical, upscale, contemporary, traditional New American restaurants. For some people, Tap is their “casual night out”, and for other people we are their “big night out”, or where they have their birthday parties. That uniqueness, but also being so approachable and able to cater to a much larger demographic of people, transcends all age groups, and truly makes Tap a place for everyone.
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When choosing new locations, what is the process?
I was born and raised here in South Florida, so having a local's knowledge of most of the markets we are currently in has been very beneficial. Again, I think that Tap’s target customer is really anyone and everyone, so as long as we find a great physical site where there are enough people to support the volumes of business we are looking to do, we feel that we will be successful!
What are you most excited about for the new Kendall location?
We could not be more excited about how beautiful the space came out, and we truly feel that this will be by far the coolest and most special place in Southwest Miami-Dade. Kendall has always been a market that we have felt was the perfect fit for Tap 42. Our loyal guests have been asking for us to open in Kendall for years, specifically in the Palms at Town & Country, which we feel is the premier center in Southwest Miami-Dade. When the opportunity came around to have our own, freestanding building with a huge patio overlooking the lake, it was a “no-brainer”.
As a local restaurateur, what is the biggest challenge you have faced this far?
This was obviously an incredibly challenging last few years for the entire restaurant industry. Dealing with the government shutdowns, restrictions, staffing issues, and supply chain issues has been incredibly difficult. That being said, we are very fortunate to have all of our locations in Florida, and South Florida specifically, where we have been able to continue to operate at a much larger capacity than much of the country.
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What is your favorite Tap 42 menu item?
Depends on when you ask me! I love everything on the menu, and usually change up my order every day, but I would say my most consistent “go-to dishes” are the Grilled Salmon Zen Bowl, the Truffle Filet Steak Sandwich, and the Chicken Avocado Salad. I also think that we have the best Barbecue Baby Back Ribs in South Florida, and more people need to know about them! And I am slightly addicted to our Ahi Tuna Poke Salad!
Photography by: Courtesy Tap 42
