Franchise Deep Dive: Painting with a Twist's Franchise Costs, Fees, Profit and Data

Painting with a Twist is a popular franchise brand that brings people together to sip wine and create their own works of art. The brand hosts group classes at its art studios across the country where participants follow step-by-step instructions in order to create acrylic paintings. It’s used for social events, and guests are encouraged to bring their own alcoholic beverages. The brand refers to itself as a “fun and engaging social outing that combines wine, fun and art.”

Painting with a Twist was first established in 2007 by co-founders Cathy Deano and Renee Maloney in Mandeville, Louisiana. The brand’s original name was Corks and Canvas but was changed just two years later when the pair started to franchise in response to enormous demand. Painting with a Twist boasts that it is the “original paint and sip franchise,” and says to this day, it remains the largest and fastest-growing brand in the category.

As a result of its offerings, the brand has won numerous awards and has been recognized by Entrepreneur magazine as the top paint-and-sip franchise more than six times.

As of September 2023, there are more than 230 Painting with a Twist studios open or under development across 39 states. According to the brand’s consumer-facing website, Painting with a Twist is larger than “approximately 90% of all franchise systems in any industry.” The brand is actively offering franchise opportunities throughout the country in hundreds of territories.

The brand’s core business model combines art instruction with entertainment and social experiences. The brand provides all the necessary art supplies, hosts interactive painting classes for individuals and groups in a fun and social environment, and allows customers to bring their beverages for events like data nights and parties. Since 2009, Painting with a Twist has served more than 5 million customers.

For prospective franchisees, the brand does not require its owners to have an art background. Instead, the brand says the best candidates for Painting with a Twist ownership are those who have a passion for people. The brand’s leadership provides all the necessary tools and training to help get its owners up and running.

As the largest brand of its kind in the industry, Painting with a Twist has the volume-buying power to obtain lower cost of goods, which can also contribute to stronger unit economics. Additionally, franchise owners can utilize Painting with a Twist as an in-studio event, private party, retail paint kit and/or do-it-yourself style walk-in experiences.

Painting with a Twist does not have a publicly available Item 19. To learn more, contact the team about reading the Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD), which will state the total earnings of any company or franchise-owned unit as a reference.

The initial investment necessary to open a Painting with a Twist franchise ranges from $120,500 to $260K. Interested candidates must also have a minimum cash liquidity of $80K and a net worth of at least $200K. This investment is broken down into the following costs:

• Initial fee: $25,000

• Real Estate Lease for Premises — Two Months: $4,500 to $17,000

• Grand Opening Advertising: $3,500

• Travel and Living Expenses while Training: $3,000 to $6,000

• Insurance: $1,500 to $3,500

• Furniture, Fixtures, Equipment: $12,000 to $25,000

• Other Prepaid Expenses, such as Deposits, Licenses and Various Permits: $1,000 to $3,500

• Opening Inventory: $3,000 to $5,000

• Signage: $4,000 to $8,000

• Leaseholder Improvements: $30,000 to $90,000

• Architectural Fees: $2,000 to $5,000

• Computer Hardware and Software: $2,000 to $4,000

• Legal, Accounting and Organizational Costs: $2,000 to $8,000

• Additionally Funds: $25,000 to $40,000

• Design Fee: $1,000 to $1,500

• Liquor License: $1,000 to $15,000

The franchise fee required to open a Painting with a Twist franchise is $25K.

The brand is a member of the IFA’s VetFran program and, as such, Painting with a Twist offers a 20% discount on its franchise fee for qualified veterans.

• Cathy Deano — Co-Founder

• Renee Maloney — Co-Founder

• Todd Owen — Co-Owner and CEO

• Katie Richard — Director of Operations

• Brittany Graff — Director of Marketing

• Trey Manthey — Director of IT

• Painting with a Twist Ranked Top Paint and Sip Franchise for Sixth Consecutive Year

• Painting with a Twist Studio is this Franchisee’s ‘Happy Place’

• Why Painting with a Twist?

• Painting with a Twist Taps Franchisee as New CEO and Co-Owner

*Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only. You should not construe any such information or other material as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice. Nothing contained on this site constitutes a solicitation, recommendation, endorsement, or offer to buy or sell any franchises, securities, or other financial instruments in this or in any other jurisdiction in which such solicitation or offer would be unlawful under the franchise and/or securities laws of such jurisdiction.

All content in this article is information of a general nature and does not address the detailed circumstances of any particular individual or entity. Nothing in the article constitutes professional and/or financial advice, nor does any information in the email constitute a comprehensive or complete statement of the matters discussed or the law relating thereto. You alone assume the sole responsibility of evaluating the merits and risks associated with the use of any information or other content in this article before making any decisions based on such information or other content.