Painting with a Twist Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
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: A (Strongest tier), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified · figures per the 2024 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $119K – $256K
- 44th pct Home Services
- Avg gross sales
- $252K
- 4th pct Home Services
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- 15th pct Home Services
- Units
- 220
- 76th 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 avg · 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 A (Strongest tier), 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).
- 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
- 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).
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 17% below 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%
- percentage · 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 80% below the home services norm.
Source: FDD 2024 · Item 19
Single-unit · estimated
Returns at a glance
Indicative numbers using FDD Item 7 / Item 19 inputs and category-benchmarked cost ratios. Full single-unit, 25-unit portfolio, and LBO models (with every input editable to stress-test your own scenario) live on the financials page.
Store EBITDA · annual
$28K
11.0% margin
Unlevered ROIC
13%
EBITDA / total invested capital
Payback
7.9 yrs
cash-on-cash, unlevered
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. The target band for an attractive franchise is 30–60% ROIC. Below that and a passive index fund likely outperforms; above that and the franchisor has pricing power you're subsidizing.
Note: Item 19 revenue is what the franchisor discloses. It's the top line only. Operating costs below are category estimates. Override them to match your real 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?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Estimated return on your total franchise investment, before any debt financing.
13%
Below the 30–60% attractive-franchise band
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%.
Levered LBO scenario · Yale Crease Capital framing
What would 25 Painting with a Twist units return on equity?
Equity IRR · 5-yr
49.9%
7.57× MOIC
Year-1 DSCR
1.88×
EBITDA ÷ debt service
Equity required
$201K
on $1.0M purchase
Total debt
$806K
SBA $0.5M + senior + seller note
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→$622K
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Transparency tier
- full
- Categorical assessment of disclosure depth
- 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 321 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 average).
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 averages
How Painting with a Twist Compares
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
- 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
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 5
- Closed (3yr)
- 0
- Terminated (3yr)
- 2
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 3
- Transfers (3yr)
- 18
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
- 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).
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%
- 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.
Premium insight
SBA Lending Report
Deep-dive into Painting with a Twist's SBA lending history: lender network, geographic footprint, interest rates, and more.
SBA Lending Report
- Principal loss rate and NAICS industry benchmark
- 10 lenders with concentration factor
- Per-state charge-off rates across 15 states
- Startup risk premium and job creation velocity
- 13-year lending trend
Instant access. No subscription.
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
Painting with a Twist presents elevated risk due to undisclosed profitability metrics, unclear unit growth, and corporate going concern status, making true ROI assessment impossible.
Litigation (Item 3)
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)
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
- 01MEDNo Item 19 (Average Unit Volume) disclosed despite $251,747 claimed average revenue — inability to verify profitability claims
- 02HIGHGoing Concern status is False, indicating potential financial instability at corporate level
- 03MINORUnit count of 220 with unknown growth trajectory — cannot assess system expansion or contraction
- 04MEDHigh investment range ($119K-$255.5K) relative to undisclosed net income creates ROI uncertainty
- 05MINOR6% 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 |
| 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
FDD download
Painting with a Twist · FDD (2024) PDF
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.
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 A-grade franchise with a verdict score of 64 out of 100 (higher is better), based on our analysis of investment costs, revenue data, SBA loan performance, and growth trends. 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.