How Wine & Design Helps Franchisees Through the Process of Ownership

Franchise brands want to make sure they find the right franchisee fit, and Wine & Design is no different. The paint and sip concept was founded in 2011 in North Carolina and has since grown to more than 80 locations across 22 states, scoring major industry recognition in 2017 when it was featured on the popular TV show “Shark Tank.”

Today, Wine & Design offers five distinct, branded divisions under one franchise fee and the largest catalog of paintings in the paint and sip space. Through this proven business model, Wine & Design provides local artists with a chance for full-time employment and a regular income stream in an industry that does not usually have one.

Wine & Design attributes much of its success to a thorough vetting process, which ensures that both prospective franchisees and the leadership team are thrilled with the resulting partnership. Prospective franchisees who want to learn more about the brand work closely with the brand’s Franchise Sales Manager and Contract Specialist, Sheri Hill.

Vetting process

“I'm typically the main point of contact throughout the due diligence process for potential franchisees but I always open the door to introduce them to other members of our team, as well as established franchisees,” Hill said. “My team and I are there every step of the way, from reviewing the demographics in the prospective franchisee’s market to Discovery Day and more.”

The first step for a prospective Wine & Design franchisee is filling out a franchise application. After, they will have several prequalification and phone interviews with brand representatives that provide plenty of time to ask questions about the business opportunity. The two parties will discuss site selection, financing, training, marketing and more.

“We always encourage potential franchisees to review our franchising website and have a list of questions in mind before our calls,” Hill said. “Prospective franchisees should also have an idea of where they might want to potentially open a studio. The leadership team helps with the site selection process, but it’s always nice for the candidate to familiarize themselves with their market.”

After having phone calls with the brand, the prospective franchisee will receive a copy of the franchise disclosure document (FDD). At this time, the candidate must also provide Wine & Design with a business plan, which can come in handy later when reaching out to lenders for financing.

Discovery day

Once all of that is done, the prospect is invited to attend Discovery Day at the brand’s corporate headquarters in Raleigh. There, prospective franchisees are able to meet the corporate team, visit sister studios in the city, talk with franchise owners and even take a class.

“We open up Discovery Day to all potential franchisees that are in an available territory, have been pre-approved for funding and that we feel would be a good fit for Wine & Design,” Hill said. “We work with the candidate’s schedule on planning these Discovery Days.”

Once the prospective franchisee’s application is approved and all parties are on board, the franchise agreement can be signed.

Franchisee success

**Two Wine & Design franchisees familiar with this discovery process are Timothy and Marissa Cunningham. The husband-and-wife team and childhood sweethearts purchased an existing Wine & Design franchise in their hometown of Greenville, South Carolina in July of 2019. The previous owner had young children and simply desired a lifestyle change, which came at the perfect time for the Cunninghams.

Timothy, a mechanical engineer and lifelong artist who’d held art jobs since he was 16 years old,** previously worked as an artist **at that same Greenville location and was eager for a way to get out of the engineering field and pursue his real dream.

“I did the American thing,” he said. “I got a degree and a job and found myself sitting in cubicles solving problems that didn’t serve me.”

Timothy was no stranger to the world of business. At the time he and Marissa decided to purchase their franchise, they were living in San Diego, where Timothy started his own paint concept, San Diego Paint Parties.

“Once I got to where my business was grossing $25,000 a year, I knew I could pull off this kind of work on a full-time basis,” he said. “When Sheri called me and told me the Greenville Wine & Design location was up for sale, it was a no-brainer for me and Marissa.”

The Cunninghams praised the Wine & Design leadership team’s professionalism throughout the discovery and purchasing processes. Now, they’re excited about the direction the brand is going in, especially its growth in terms of marketing and social media, and plan to open another location in the nearby city of Spartanburg. Timothy encouraged prospective franchisees to make sure they do their brand research and be willing to commit to an entrepreneurial lifestyle.

“Sheri knows all of the steps to ensure that all parties are successful,” Timothy said. “There are weekly check-ins and as it gets closer she reaches out daily. She’s very organized and personable and provides a shoulder to lean on. When it came down to the transfer, the previous owner and I sat down with Sheri and she walked us through everything.”

Marissa, who helps operate the Greenville franchise in addition to running her own fitness business, Body By MC, also appreciates how personable the corporate team is, especially CEO Harriet Mills.

“She genuinely cares about the success of the Wine & Design franchisees,” Marissa said. “It’s comforting to know this isn’t just a money grab—you can really sense her sincerity and her desire to see every franchisee succeed.”

By researching the brand and becoming familiar with the franchisee lifestyle, prospective Wine & Design owners can help ensure that they have a smooth discovery process that results in a mutually beneficial fit for the future.