artist-entertainer

What is Painting with a Twist?

Our paint and sip business is such a unique form of entertainment it spawned a whole franchise industry

Guests come to Painting with a Twist to drink wine, have a good time with their friends and paint. That’s the “twist” part of Painting with a Twist — it’s not about the art. It’s about the experience.

Painting with a Twist, which pioneered the paint and sip business, has become a booming franchise because we deliver an exceptional social and artistic experience in a fun, friendly space.

Here is what makes Painting with a Twist a good choice for the right franchise candidate:

  • The business is unique.
  • Painting with a Twist delivers high perceived guest value.
  • Creative people look to create. Franchise owners have access to thousands of painting options to keep the experience fresh and new.
  • Multiple revenue streams. Our guests can enjoy the “Twist” experience in many ways: in-studio events & private parties, retail paint kits and even DIY style walk in experiences. This means more revenue potential for our owners.
  • A great employee base. Painting with a Twist allows artists to pursue their passion while earning extra income.
  • Our paint and sip business offers guests a fun, safe environment to enjoy time with friends and loved ones.
paint-and-sip-event
wine toast

Why guests love us

Our guests are predominantly women seeking out unique ways to socialize and be creative in a safe environment. Painting with a Twist provides all of that. And we provide a stable framework in which to operate a business for anyone who is entrepreneurial-minded and community-oriented. No art background required.

Painting with a Twist delivers value to guests in multiple ways:

  • Conversation and community. Guests, artists and franchise owners create a community to share and enhance each other’s entertainment experience. Guests walk away with something unique that they created and can immediately show. Instant art gratification.
  • No mess. Painting with a Twist does the set-up and clean-up. Guests enjoy the benefits of painting without the hassles of prepping and cleaning up.
  • Relaxation. Painting with a Twist offers guests a powerful break in the week where they can leave the stress behind and let the creative juices flow.
  • Girls night out. Women, wine and a little art, too, while they’re at it. Painting with a Twist offers women a great new way to bond during a girls night out.

Since 2009, 5 million guests have created 10 million paintings. In the process, Painting with a Twist has become a “viral business,” meaning raving fan guests help franchise owners promote their business through their social networks.

When we started, the paint and
sip business wasn’t a thing

Co-founders Cathy Deano and Renee Maloney were really just looking for a way to uplift people when they opened their first studio in Mandeville, LA, in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Back in 2007, it was called Corks & Canvas. Two years later, when they started to franchise in the face of the enormous popular demand, they changed the name to Painting with a Twist

Today, we’ve got approximately 230+ studios open or under development in 39 states, and 38% of our franchise owners own more than one location. Competitors have sprung up everywhere, both in and out of franchising, but none comes close to Painting with a Twist. We’ve been ranked No. 1 in our category — the one we invented, by the way — by Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500 for seven consecutive years.

“The dust has settled in the paint and sip industry,” says CEO, Todd Owen. “Our concept grew very, very quickly. We have a clearer vision of the future today than this company’s ever had. We have a better understanding of our guests and how to market and attract those guests than ever before.”

“The efforts that we put in on a daily basis that result in franchise owners ringing their cash register are greater than ever before in this company.”

painting with a twist clients
woman painting

Painting with Purpose

Deano and Maloney had four goals in mind when they started their paint and sip business:

  1. To create a safe space for women to meet, socialize and feel empowered.
  2. To provide a platform for local artists to earn income and network in.
  3. To frequently give back and support local communities through monthly charitable events.
  4. To create jobs and make an honest profit.

We still hold true to those core objectives today. As the pioneer in our category, we continue to lead the way. We established Painting with a Twist; other paint and sip concepts followed. We raised the bar for ourselves when it came to being a responsible corporate citizen; other concepts are now following our lead. We welcome that.

To date, our monthly Painting with a Purpose program has raised over $7 million for local charities — all royalty-free.

Who we’re looking for

Our franchise owners come from a wide variety of backgrounds. Some were doctors. Some were accountants. Some were moms who loved the concept. Co-Founder Deano says the most important thing for any franchise owner with Painting with a Twist is being a people person.

“They need to have some sort of business background, and they have to be engaging, because people are coming to have a good time,” Deano says. “The person has to be engaged in the business. It’s not a ‘maybe I’ll be there, maybe I won’t ’ gig.’ You really need to invest some time in it in order for it to work, because it’s a people business.”

Qualified candidates should have a minimum net worth of $200,000 and liquid assets of at least $80,000. It typically costs between $120,500 to $260,000 to start up your own Painting with a Twist studio.

“I’d say 98% of our franchise owners attended an event at a studio, fell in love with it, and wanted one because of the passion they felt when they left,” Deano says. “And passion is fabulous. It’s a necessary component. But you have to work it also.”

“It is a business,” she says. “But it’s the most fun business you’ll ever have.”

Find out more about the franchising opportunity by filling out the form on this page.

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