Color Me Mine Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
- Investment
- $219K – $475K
- Disclosed sales
- $513K
- gross sales, not profit
- SBA charge-off
- 13.0%
- on 77 loans
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Color Me Mine is an entertainment franchise operating paint-your-own-pottery studios where guests hand-paint ceramics that are then kiln-fired. Franchisees run a studio managing walk-ins, parties, and events, plus kiln and inventory.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Color Me Mine franchise requires a total initial investment of $219K – $475K, including a $30K franchise fee and an ongoing 5.0% royalty[2]. Per the 2025 FDD, average unit revenue was $513K[2]. SBA 7(a) loans show a 13.0% charge-off rate across 77 loans[1]. FranchiseVerdict grade: B (Above average), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Sources, dates and evidence
FDD issued: · Data extracted: · Last cited check: · Staleness risk: low - issued within the last 12 months
Evidence: strong✓ Investment (Item 7)✓ Item 19 status✓ Units and owners (Item 20)✓ SBA loan coverage✓ Litigation (Item 3)✓ Financial statements (Item 21)✓ Franchisor identityhow this is scored8 of 8 headline figures on this page cite a page of the filing.
Overview
- Investment
- $219K – $475K
- 18th pct Recreation & …
- Avg gross sales
- $513K
- 5th pct Recreation & …
- Royalty
- 5.0%
- 2nd pct Recreation & …
- Units
- 125
- 47th pct Recreation & …
- SBA charge-off
- 13.0%
- % of SBA 7(a) loans not repaid · median varies by category
Quick verdict · Recreation & Entertainment · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Recreation & Entertainment median · No shading = within ±10% · Red = unfavorable by >10% · Source: FDD filings + SBA 7(a)
Data from public FDD filings and SBA records. Not financial advice. Methodology
Bottom line
- COSTTotal investment $219K – $475K including a $30K franchise fee, 5.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSAverage unit revenue of $513K/year (median $479K). Note: this is gross profit, not take-home income.
- RISKVerdict B (Above average), verdict score 68/100 (higher is better). SBA loan charge-off rate of 13.0% across 77 loans (above the 16% franchise average, based on all SBA 7(a) franchise lending, 2010–2025).
- GROWTHPositive: net +12 franchised outlets in the latest year (12 opened, 0 closed); 24 signed but not yet open (Item 20).
- GROWTHSystem growing at 18.1% CAGR over 3 years with 125 total units. Strong expansion trajectory.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Color Me Mine LLC
- Parent company
- Twist Brands LLC
- FDD Item 1, page 9 of the 2025 FDD
- Predecessor
- Color Me Mine Enterprises, Inc. (CMME)
- Prior franchisor entity
- CEO title
- Director and CEO
- Teresa Johnson
- Incorporated in
- LA
- HQ
- 1852 N. Causeway Blvd, Mandeville, LA 70471
- Auditor
- Reagan & Reagan CPA, LLC
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $5.2M
- vs $4.4M prior year
Same owner · FDD Item 1, page 9
1 other brand on this site name Twist Brands LLC as parent or ultimate parent in their own FDD.
Grouped by the owner's name as each filing prints it (this page: the 2025 FDD). Spelling variants of the same group may be listed apart; a brand is never grouped with an owner its filing does not name.
Overview
About
- CEO
- Teresa Johnson
- Headquarters
- LA
- Founded
- 2020
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 26
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 38% below the typical recreation & entertainment franchise.
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 5–7
FDD Item 7 · 2025 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $30K | $30K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $20K | $60K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $169K | $385K |
| Total initial investment | $219K | $475K |
Source: Color Me Mine 2025 FDD, Items 5 and 7[2]. “Equipment, build-out, other” is computed as total minus disclosed line items above.
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $219K – $475K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $20K – $60K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $30K – $30K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- 5.0%
- typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 1.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 6.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 5.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 1.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $239 |
| Transfer fee | $8K |
| Renewal fee | $0 |
| Inventory (initial) | $12K – $18K |
| Total fee load | 6.0% of rev |
A 6.0% total fee load is unusually lean. More of each revenue dollar stays with the franchisee.
What do units actually make?
Average unit sales run 35% below the recreation & entertainment norm.
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 19
Single-unit · not modelled
Returns at a glance
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit, and the operating costs that turn one into the other are in no filing. We publish no modelled return for Color Me Mine until someone supplies them — yours, in the models below.
—
Not modelled yet
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit. We hold no sourced figure for COGS, labour, rent / occupancy and other operating costs, and will not substitute an assumed one. Enter your own and the model runs on your assumptions.
Total invested capital · disclosed
$387K
Item 7 initial investment plus working capital, as filed — the one figure here that needs no assumption.
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
What one unit earns on your invested capital
Model A · Single-Unit Return
Computes unlevered return on invested capital (ROIC) for a single franchise unit, read against the 30–60% reference band · Yale SOM, Post-MBA Path Exhibit 2 (2023). Below that band a passive index fund likely outperforms; above it the franchisor has pricing power you're subsidizing.
Note: Item 19 revenue is what the franchisor discloses, and it is the top line only — gross sales are not profit. No FDD discloses the operating costs that turn one into the other, so those fields start empty and nothing is modelled until you supply them from your own lease quote, labor market and build-out budget.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one Color Me Mine unit return on the cash you put in?
Illustrative category typicals — not sourced to any filing, survey or sample. Replace them with figures from franchisee validation calls before you rely on the output.
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Your modelled return on total invested capital, before any debt financing.
—
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit. We hold no sourced figure for COGS, labour, rent / occupancy and other operating costs, and will not substitute an assumed one. Enter your own and the model runs on your assumptions.
What 25 units return when you use SBA financing
Model B · Return on Equity: Debt-Financed Acquisition
Models a 25-unit portfolio acquisition financed with an SBA 7(a) loan. Shows equity IRR (your return on cash invested), DSCR (how safely the cash flow covers debt service), and the capital stack (SBA + seller + equity breakdown).
This is the “search fund” or “entrepreneurship through acquisition” scenario: you buy an existing multi-unit operator, use leverage to amplify returns, and either operate or hire management. The 25-unit size is the typical minimum for an SBA-backed franchise portfolio acquisition to pencil as a full-time income.
What “return on equity” means here: if you put in $500K of your own cash and the business generates enough EBITDA to pay down debt and grow, your equity IRR is the annual return on that $500K, including the value created when you eventually sell. Target IRR for a search fund is typically 25–35%.
Not modelled yet
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit. We hold no sourced figure for COGS, labour, rent / occupancy and other operating costs, and will not substitute an assumed one. Enter your own and the model runs on your assumptions.
A 25-unit return is built on a per-unit EBITDA. Fill in the operating costs in Model A above and this model runs on that figure, or take the whole scenario to the full ROI workbench, where the portfolio and LBO models accept your own per-unit economics directly.
These models are for research and scenario planning only. Not investment advice. Actual results depend on your specific location, management, and market conditions. Consult a franchise attorney and accountant before signing any franchise agreement.
Item 19 · Source: 2025 FDD
Financial Performance
- Avg gross sales
- $513K
- Per unit, per year
- Median gross sales
- $479K
Gross sales are revenue before expenses — not profit. Actual owner earnings depend on rent, labor, royalties, marketing fees, and debt service.
- Item 19 type
- gross revenue
- Sample size
- 109 outlets
- vs category median 5 · large
- Range (low → high)
- $146K→$1.5MCited, not corroborated — printed on page 43 of the 2025 FDD. Nothing else in our record independently restates or re-derives it.
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Quartile band
- $282K→$819K
- Bottom 25% → top 25%
- Reporting year
- 2025
- Fiscal year the figures cover
- Source filing
- FDD 2025
- The FDD edition these figures were read from
- Transparency
- 10 / 10
- vs category median 4 / 10 · above
Compared against 165 Recreation & Entertainment brands
Operator outlook
What the numbers say
Data-driven interpretation of this brand's financial disclosures, fee structure, and system trajectory.
Unit economics
Average unit generates $513K/year in gross sales. Revenue-to-investment ratio: 1.5x.
Fee burden
Total ongoing fee load of 6.0% — below the Recreation & Entertainment median of 8.0%.
Disclosure
Transparency score 10/10 — this franchisor discloses detailed breakdowns (quartiles, segments, or cohort data). Buyers can model unit economics with higher confidence.
Operator retention
System expanding at 18.1% CAGR over 3 years across 125 units — operators are staying and new ones are joining.
Source: FDD Item 19 financial performance representations and publicly filed FDD data. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Verify all figures with the franchisor and current franchisees before making any investment decision.
vs Recreation & Entertainment medians
How Color Me Mine Compares
Category median of published Recreation & Entertainment brands that report the figure; the middle half spans the 25th to 75th percentile and n counts the brands behind it. Medians are used because a few very large systems pull an average far from the typical brand. Revenue is disclosed gross sales, not profit.
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 125
- Opened
- 12
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 0
- Terminated
- 0
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- N/A
- Company-owned
- 1
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 99%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- +18.1%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- +18.1%
- Compounded over last 3 years
Last fiscal year · Item 20 exits and transfers
- Terminated
- 0
- Not renewed
- 0
- Transferred
- 7
- Reacquired
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
- Signed, not yet open
- 24
- 0.19 per open outlet · Item 20 Table 5
- Projected new
- 24
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 25 states with active franchisees
The Territory Map
Derived from franchisee contact records. Shows states with at least one current operator. Not where the franchisor is registered to sell new units (that data is re-extracting in a future refresh).
States derived from franchisee contact records (FDD Item 20). Shows states with at least one current operator on file. Full state registration data (Item 12) will appear on a future FDD refresh.
Where the owners are · Item 20 owner list
136 current owners across 25 states.
- CA 41
- FL 11
- TX 11
- IL 10
- NJ 9
- PA 9
- UT 8
- CO 6
- NY 5
- AZ 4
- MN 4
- OH 3
- +13 more states
Counts only, from the list the franchisor prints in Item 20. Names and phone numbers are for your own due diligence and are not shown here.
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA 7(a) and 504 loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
- Total loans
- 77
- Loan volume
- $9.0M
- Median loan
- $105K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- 13.0%
- on 77 loans · rates vary by category · see methodology
Historical SBA 7(a) lending data, not predictive of future performance. How SBA charge-off rates are calculated
- Repayment rate (PIF)
- 86.8%
- 5-yr charge-off
- 0.0%
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 30
- Defaults
- 7
- Typical loan rate
- 8.0%
- avg rate to borrowers
- vs industry
- 11.3%
- brand is above its industry ↑
- Jobs supported
- 425
- 5.4 per loan
- Lender concentration
- 19%
- top lender's share
Borrower mix: 68% went to startups / new businesses, 32% to established operators
Vintage analysis
Color Me Mine charge-off rate by loan vintage
Top lenders financing Color Me Mine franchisees
Showing 3 of 30 lenders. The full breakdown — every lender, state distribution, interest rates & risk ratings — is in the SBA Lending Report below.
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
Lender network · 7(a) + 504
SBA Lending Report
Full lending analysis for Color Me Mine from SBA 7(a) FOIA data.
- Principal loss rate
- 6.7%
- Avg SBA guarantee
- 70%
- Avg interest rate
- 7.96%
- Avg chargeoff amount
- $74K
- Lender concentration
- 19.4%
- Job velocity
- 5.4 per $100K
- NAICS benchmark
- 11.3%
- NAICS 459120
- Jobs supported
- 425
Top SBA lendersTop lender holds 19% of loans
| # | Lender | Loans | Volume | Default % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Readycap Lending, LLC | 13 | $1.6M | 33.3% |
| 2 | First American Bank | 7 | $250K | 0.0% |
| 3 | The Huntington National Bank | 6 | $1.1M | N/A |
| 4 | KeyBank National Association | 4 | $361K | 0.0% |
| 5 | Wells Fargo Bank National Association | 4 | $807K | 0.0% |
| 6 | Manufacturers and Traders Trust Company | 3 | $298K | 33.3% |
| 7 | TD Bank, National Association | 2 | $293K | 50.0% |
| 8 | PNC Bank, National Association | 2 | $254K | 0.0% |
| 9 | Zions Bank, A Division of | 2 | $85K | 0.0% |
| 10 | Fulton Bank, National Association | 2 | $180K | 0.0% |
Geographic failure vector
| State | Loans | Defaults | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| CACalifornia | 12 | 0 | 0.0% |
| ILIllinois | 9 | 0 | 0.0% |
| PAPennsylvania | 7 | 1 | 16.7% |
| TXTexas | 7 | 0 | 0.0% |
| NYNew York | 5 | 4 | 100.0% |
| WAWashington | 4 | 0 | 0.0% |
| COColorado | 3 | 1 | 33.3% |
| AZArizona | 2 | 0 | -- |
| MNMinnesota | 2 | 0 | 0.0% |
| NJNew Jersey | 2 | 0 | 0.0% |
SBA 7(a) lending trend
Borrower profile
Source: SBA 7(a) + 504 FOIA loan-level data, matched by FranchiseVerdict
What could kill this investment?
SBA loans charge off at 13.0% — 19% below the 16.0% national norm, i.e. lower lender-observed risk.
Source: SBA 7(a) FOIA · FDD Items 3, 21
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 4, 8, 16, 21
Risk & Legal
Litigation (Item 3)
Subject: officers or affiliates. The franchisor is not a named party in these cases.
No litigation required to be disclosed in Item 3.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Reagan & Reagan CPA, LLC
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Total revenue for fiscal year ended September 30, 2025 ($5,225,462) comprises royalties and other related fees $4,176,898, corporate studio sales net of discounts $408,733, vendor commissions $233,031, franchise fees $405,500, and sales of studio items to franchisees $1,300. Other income (below operating line) of $310,151 reported separately.
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: Yes
- Kickbacks from required suppliers: Yes
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
Score breakdown · what drove the 68 / 100 verdict
- 01MINORModest unit growth of 10.7% YoY is slower than healthy franchise systems (typically 15%+ for expanding brands)
- 02MINORHigh initial investment range ($219K-$475K) against average net income of $139,707 yields 1.6-3.4 year payback period with execution risk
- 03MINOR5% royalty on $513K average revenue = $25,650 annual corporate fees reduces franchisee margin meaningfully
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 6.0% of sales (royalty + ad fund), before rent and labor.
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 11, 12, 17
FDD Items 12, 15, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 5 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 5 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 6 |
| Territory type | Protected territory |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Territory population | 250,000 |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Optional |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | No |
| Arbitration location | Mandeville, Louisiana (mediation required; litigation in Louisiana courts) |
| Jury trial waiver | No |
| Governing law | LA |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
No litigation required to be disclosed in Item 3.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 32 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 32 hrs
- Training location
- Online, Mandeville LA, Nashville-Metro TN, or another designated location; new store opening on-site
- Ongoing training
- Optional
- Field support
- 40 hrs/yr
- On-site visits per year
- Time to open
- 8 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- Franchisee selects site subject to franchisor's written acceptance; franchisor provides criteria and reviews proposed sites
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
136 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Color Me Mine franchise?
The total investment to open a Color Me Mine franchise ranges from $219K – $475K, with an initial franchise fee of $30K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Color Me Mine franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the Color Me Mine FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $513K. The median is $479K. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
Who owns Color Me Mine?
Color Me Mine is franchised by Color Me Mine LLC. Its parent company is Twist Brands LLC. Source: FDD Item 1, 2025 filing.
What is Item 19 in the Color Me Mine FDD?
The FDD section where a franchisor may disclose financial performance of its outlets. Disclosure is optional and formats vary; figures are typically gross sales, which is revenue before expenses, not profit. FranchiseVerdict extracts these figures directly from the Color Me Mine FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Color Me Mine's franchise failure rate?
Based on SBA 7(a) loan data, Color Me Mine has a charge-off rate of 13.0% across 77 loans, meaning 13.0% of franchise loans were charged off. Charge-off rates are one proxy for franchise risk, though they do not capture all closures. This data comes from FOIA-sourced SBA lending records.
How many Color Me Mine franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Color Me Mine has 125 total units in the United States, including 124 franchised units and 1 company-owned units. 12 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Color Me Mine a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Color Me Mine as a B-grade franchise with a verdict score of 68 out of 100 (higher is better). The grade is a deterministic score built from six weighted dimensions — financial health, unit economics, unit growth, scale, legal, and transparency — then calibrated against SBA loan charge-off rates and FDD age. Transparency is one of the six, so a filing that discloses less scores lower on that dimension than one that discloses more. Our rating is based solely on publicly available FDD and government data; we recommend speaking with current franchisees before making any investment decision. This is not investment advice.
Data sourced from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) FOIA records. Not financial advice.
For franchisors
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Data extracted from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) loan disclosures (FOIA). This information is provided for research purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, or investment advice. Verify all figures with the franchisor's current Franchise Disclosure Document before making any investment decision.