Pretty in Paint Launches Unique Franchise Opportunity to Bring “Sip and Paint” Parties to Customers’ Homes

Working from an example canvas, party guests create their own version of the artwork on a canvas they get to take home as a souvenir, all while visiting with friends and enjoying a glass of wine or a craft beer. This isn't like art class, and guests aren't expected to be artistically savvy -- it's "fun art" you can bond over making, and then take home.

Today, there are an estimated 1,000 wine and painting party companies throughout the United States—and that number is projected to keep growing. And yet, despite the increasing competition in this booming segment, one company in particular has put a new spin on the traditional paint and sip concept—Pretty in Paint.

Amelia Courtney was first introduced to the idea when she took a trip down South and attended a paint party at an art studio. When she returned home in Pennington, New Jersey, she showed off her painting to her friend, Erica Bridges. Bridges was intrigued by the idea, and wanted to create something similar to hang in her own home.

But because the concept was still relatively new at the time, there wasn’t a studio nearby that offered similar services. That’s when Courtney and Bridges decided to take matters into their own hands and throw a party themselves. They reached out to another friend who was an artist, and she agreed to guide the two—and their party—through the painting process over cocktails.

By the end of the night, one thing was clear—there was immense potential to turn this fun concept into a successful business. This was in 2012, and it was the beginning of Pretty in Paint.

“From that moment on, we started traveling from home to home, throwing our own painting parties—that’s when we knew we were on to something really special. Up until then, painting parties were primarily held at designated brick and mortar locations. So the fact that we brought the party to our customers—without any extra fees--was a huge differentiator,” Bridges said.

Pretty in Paint is also unique in that it’s more than a traditional paint and sip concept. The brand hosts children’s birthday parties in addition to corporate team building events for up to 200 people.

Word of the brand’s unique concept spread quickly, and both Bridges and Courtney started fielding multiple requests for the brand to establish a presence in their community. To keep up with the demand, they hired independent contractors to open up other locations under the Pretty in Paint name. And within four and a half years, there were 45 locations throughout the East Coast.

But Courtney and Bridges realized that their home business was doing better than other locations. That’s because they owned the business themselves, and they treated it differently. So they decided to look into franchising. The model opens the door for the brand to expand with other entrepreneurs who are just as passionate about the Pretty in Paint brand, ultimately driving the brand’s growth efforts.

“Getting into the franchising industry in general has been a major goal of ours for the last year. Now that we’re here, our main mission is to help our franchisees develop their territories like we have. We pride ourselves on being a premiere paint party event company, and we’re incredibly excited to see our concept grow nationally,” said Bridges.

With two franchises sold and another one expected to be finalized in the coming weeks, it’s clear that people want to be a part of the Pretty and Paint brand. And as the brand continues to expand in markets across the East Coast, Pretty in Paint is actively looking to give other entrepreneurs a platform to be successful business owners.

Owning a Pretty in Paint franchise gives franchisees the freedom to move from one location to the next without being tied down to one brick and mortar location. The brand also boasts an affordable start-up cost, which ranges from $15,000 to $36,630.

According to Bridges and Courtney, what makes the Pretty in Paint franchise opportunity truly unique is the simple business model supporting it. This gives creative and inspired women who want to both own their own business and work from home the chance to create a future that’s flexible, fun and fulfilling. And that, Bridges says, is what they set out to create from day one. Now, the two business partners are eager to spread their model throughout the east coast and beyond.

“We have grown Pretty in Paint from an idea between two friends into something that we can’t wait to share with communities across the country,” Courtney said. “We want Pretty in Paint to be a brand that provides hard working parents with an opportunity to run a creative and fun business that they otherwise never would have considered. We can’t wait to see what the future holds—this is just the beginning.”