Painting with a Twist Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
- Investment
- $119K – $256K
- Disclosed sales
- $252K
- gross sales, not profit
- SBA charge-off
- 11.1%
- on 68 loans
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Painting with a Twist is an entertainment franchise running paint-and-sip studios where guests create a guided painting while enjoying drinks. Franchisees run a studio managing class schedules, artist-instructors, and event and party bookings.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Painting with a Twist franchise requires a total initial investment of $119K – $256K, including a $25K franchise fee and an ongoing 6.0% royalty[2]. Per the 2024 FDD, average unit revenue was $252K[2]. SBA 7(a) loans show a 11.1% charge-off rate across 68 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: high - issued more than two years ago
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
- $119K – $256K
- 44th pct Home Services
- Avg gross sales
- $252K
- 3rd pct Home Services
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- 21st pct Home Services
- Units
- 220
- 77th pct Home Services
- SBA charge-off
- 11.1%
- % of SBA 7(a) loans not repaid · median varies by category
Quick verdict · Home Services · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Home Services 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 $119K – $256K including a $25K franchise fee, 6.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSAverage unit revenue of $252K/year (median $228K).
- RISKVerdict B (Above average), verdict score 64/100 (higher is better). SBA loan charge-off rate of 11.1% across 68 loans (above the 16% franchise average, based on all SBA 7(a) franchise lending, 2010–2025).
- GROWTHFlat: no net change in franchised outlets in the latest year (5 opened, 5 closed); 7 signed but not yet open (Item 20).
- DECLINESystem contracting at -5.2% CAGR over 3 years. Investigate whether closures are franchisor-driven (consolidation) or franchisee-driven (economics).
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Painting with a Twist, L.L.C.
- Parent company
- Twist Brands LLC
- FDD Item 1, page 8 of the 2024 FDD
- Predecessor
- or affiliate of ours
- Prior franchisor entity
- CEO title
- Director and CEO
- Todd Owen
- Incorporated in
- LA
- HQ
- P.O. Box 1710, Mandeville, LA 70470
- Auditor
- Reagan & Reagan CPA, LLC
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $4.5M
- vs $4.5M prior year
Independent franchisee associations
- Franchise Advisory Council (FAC)
Franchisee-led councils or alliances disclosed in Item 20. Indicates operator voice.
Affiliated brands
- of ours
- companies
Other brands the franchisor or its parent operates (Item 1).
Same owner · FDD Item 1, page 8
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 2024 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
- Todd Owen
- Headquarters
- LA
- Founded
- 2007
- FDD year
- 2024
- States available
- 35
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 11% above the typical home services franchise.
Source: FDD 2024 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown16 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Feenot refundable | $25K | $25K | |
| Real Estate Lease for Premises - 2 months | $5K | $17K | |
| Grand Opening Advertising | $5K | $5K | |
| Training Expenses (salary expenses) | $0 | $2K | |
| Travel and Living Expenses while Training | $0 | $2K | |
| Insurance | $2K | $4K | |
| Furniture, Fixtures and Equipment | $14K | $25K | |
| Other Prepaid Expenses | $1K | $4K | |
| Opening Inventory | $4K | $8K | |
| Signage | $4K | $8K | |
| Leasehold Improvements | $30K | $90K | |
| Computer Hardware & Software | $1K | $3K | |
| Legal, Accounting & Organizational Costs | $1K | $5K | |
| Additional Funds - 3 months | $25K | $40K | |
| Architectural | $2K | $5K | |
| Alcohol Licensing | $1K | $15K | |
| Total initial investment | $119K | $256K |
Line items extracted from FDD Item 7. Ranges reflect the franchisor's stated low and high per line. Total is the sum of line-item lows / highs — actual costs may fall outside this range depending on market and build-out scope.
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $119K – $256K
- Middle of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $25K – $40K
- Middle of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $25K – $25K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 2.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 8.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 6.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 2.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $150 |
| Transfer fee | $8K |
| Inventory (initial) | $4K – $8K |
| Total fee load | 8.0% of rev |
What do units actually make?
Average unit sales run 57% below the home services norm.
Source: FDD 2024 · 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 Painting with a Twist 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
$220K
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 Painting with a Twist 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: 2024 FDD
Financial Performance
- Avg gross sales
- $252K
- Per unit, per year
- Median gross sales
- $228K
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 sales
- Sample size
- 191 outlets
- vs category median 32 · large
- Range (low → high)
- $101K→$622KCited, not corroborated — printed on page 66 of the 2024 FDD. Nothing else in our record independently restates or re-derives it.
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Reporting year
- 2023
- Fiscal year the figures cover
- Source filing
- FDD 2024
- Disclosed in the 2024 filing, covering 2023
- Transparency
- 4 / 10
- vs category median 4 / 10 · typical
Compared against 319 Home Services 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 $252K/year in gross sales. Revenue-to-investment ratio: 1.3x.
Fee burden
Total ongoing fee load of 8.0% (near the Home Services median).
Disclosure
Transparency score 4/10 — this franchisor discloses detailed breakdowns (quartiles, segments, or cohort data). Buyers can model unit economics with higher confidence.
Operator retention
System contracting at -5.2% CAGR over 3 years. Investigate whether closures are franchisor-driven consolidation or franchisee exits.
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 Home Services medians
How Painting with a Twist Compares
Category median of published Home Services 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 2024 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 220
- Opened
- 5
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 5
- Terminated
- 2
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 3
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 2.3%
- Company-owned
- 1
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 100%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- -5.2%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- -5.2%
- Compounded over last 3 years
Last fiscal year · Item 20 exits and transfers
- Terminated
- 2
- Not renewed
- 3
- Signed, not yet open
- 7
- 0.03 per open outlet · Item 20 Table 5
- Projected new
- 7
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
- Termination rate
- 0.4%
- Franchisor-initiated terminations
- Ceased ops
- 5.9%
- Units that stopped operating
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 38 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.
Available to sell in · Item 12
- Hawaii
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Maryland
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- New York
- North Dakota
- Rhode Island
- South Dakota
- Virginia
States where the franchisor is registered to sell new franchises (FDD registration filings).
Where the owners are · Item 20 owner list
219 current owners across 35 states; 22 former (terminated, transferred or not renewed) listed separately.
- TX 52
- FL 42
- PA 15
- GA 10
- CO 9
- MI 8
- NY 8
- TN 8
- CA 7
- LA 7
- IL 6
- OH 6
- +23 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
- 68
- Loan volume
- $8.2M
- Median loan
- $107K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- 11.1%
- on 68 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)
- 88.9%
- 5-yr charge-off
- 0.0%
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 35
- Defaults
- 5
- Typical loan rate
- 7.0%
- avg rate to borrowers
- Franchised industry avg
- 8.5%
- brand above franchise avg ↑
- Jobs supported
- 397
- 5.7 per loan
- Lender concentration
- 14%
- top lender's share
Borrower mix: 76% went to startups / new businesses, 24% to established operators
Franchise vs independent — in fine arts schools, franchised businesses charge off at 8.5% vs 14.1% for independents — franchising is associated with 40% lower SBA default risk in this category.
Vintage analysis
Painting with a Twist charge-off rate by loan vintage
Top lenders financing Painting with a Twist franchisees
Showing 3 of 35 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 Painting with a Twist from SBA 7(a) FOIA data.
- Principal loss rate
- 5.7%
- Avg SBA guarantee
- 76%
- Avg interest rate
- 7.02%
- Avg chargeoff amount
- $78K
- Lender concentration
- 13.6%
- Job velocity
- 5.7 per $100K
- NAICS benchmark
- 7.2%
- NAICS 611610
- Jobs supported
- 397
Top SBA lendersTop lender holds 14% of loans
| # | Lender | Loans | Volume | Default % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Huntington National Bank | 8 | $893K | 0.0% |
| 2 | Mission Valley Bank | 5 | $854K | 0.0% |
| 3 | Ameris Bank | 5 | $588K | 40.0% |
| 4 | Georgia Banking Company | 3 | $485K | 0.0% |
| 5 | Hancock Whitney Bank | 3 | $250K | 0.0% |
| 6 | Citizens Bank | 3 | $760K | N/A |
| 7 | Wells Fargo Bank National Association | 3 | $418K | 33.3% |
| 8 | Stearns Bank National Association | 2 | $204K | 0.0% |
| 9 | United Midwest Savings Bank National Association | 2 | $314K | N/A |
| 10 | PNC Bank, National Association | 2 | $150K | 0.0% |
Geographic failure vector
| State | Loans | Defaults | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| TXTexas | 10 | 2 | 22.2% |
| FLFlorida | 7 | 2 | 33.3% |
| CACalifornia | 6 | 1 | 33.3% |
| MIMichigan | 6 | 0 | 0.0% |
| PAPennsylvania | 3 | 0 | 0.0% |
| ARArkansas | 2 | 0 | 0.0% |
| MOMissouri | 2 | 0 | 0.0% |
| MTMontana | 2 | 0 | 0.0% |
| NCNorth Carolina | 2 | 0 | 0.0% |
| NYNew York | 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 11.1% — 31% 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)
Audited GAAP financial statements for fiscal years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022. 2023 total revenue of $4,507,751 comprised franchise fees ($95,537), royalties and other related fees ($3,398,717), and advertising fees ($1,013,497). Other income of $194,317 reported below operations as non-operating other income (expense).
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: No
- Must buy proprietary products: No
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
Score breakdown · what drove the 64 / 100 verdict
- 01MINORUnit count of 220 with unknown growth trajectory — cannot assess system expansion or contraction
- 02MEDHigh investment range ($119K-$255.5K) relative to undisclosed net income creates ROI uncertainty
- 03MINOR6% royalty on gross (not net) sales means franchisees pay regardless of profitability
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 8.0% of sales (royalty + ad fund), before rent and labor.
Source: FDD 2024 · Items 11, 12, 17
FDD Items 12, 15, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 7 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 5 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 4 |
| Territory type | Protected territory |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Territory population | 100,000 |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Optional |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 1 year |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 10 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 10 days |
| Termination groundsℹ | 1 |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 2 |
| Mandatory arbitration | No |
| Arbitration location | Mandeville, Louisiana |
| 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
- 72 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 42 hrs
- Training location
- Mandeville, Louisiana or franchisee's location (or virtually)
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 9 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- Franchisee with franchisor approval
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- FAM System
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: FAM System
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
241 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 Painting with a Twist franchise?
The total investment to open a Painting with a Twist franchise ranges from $119K – $256K, with an initial franchise fee of $25K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Painting with a Twist franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the Painting with a Twist FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $252K. The median is $228K. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
Who owns Painting with a Twist?
Painting with a Twist is franchised by Painting with a Twist, L.L.C.. Its parent company is Twist Brands LLC. Source: FDD Item 1, 2024 filing.
What is Item 19 in the Painting with a Twist 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 Painting with a Twist FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Painting with a Twist's franchise failure rate?
Based on SBA 7(a) loan data, Painting with a Twist has a charge-off rate of 11.1% across 68 loans, meaning 11.1% 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 Painting with a Twist franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Painting with a Twist has 220 total units in the United States, including 219 franchised units and 1 company-owned units. 5 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Painting with a Twist a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Painting with a Twist as a B-grade franchise with a verdict score of 64 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.