Painting with a Twist, Color Me Mine and Chesapeake Ceramics comprise franchise portfolio
Twist Brands, a leader in the arts-and-crafts entertainment franchise niche, has named Nancy Bigley as CEO. The family of brands is made up of Painting with a Twist, the paint-and-sip U.S. franchise brand; Color Me Mine, featuring paint-your-own ceramics; and Chesapeake Ceramics, an international supplier of ceramics.
Bigley moves into the spot from her previous role as chief operating officer for all three brands. She came to the franchise in 2018 after Painting with a Twist acquired Bottle & Bottega, the Painting with a Twist competitor that she had co-founded and grown to 20 studios. She had served as CEO of Bottle & Bottega before that acquisition. Having worked in the franchise industry for 30 years with Dunkin’ Brands, American Leak Detection and The Dwyer Group, Bigley has vast experience in franchise operations and executive leadership.
In a statement released by Twist Brands, she predicted a prosperous era ahead now the Covid-19 has waned in North America and in-person events are gaining ground. “As we emerge from months of isolation, I think as a society we are realizing how much we thrive on that carefree escape and socialization with friends. Twist Brands is in the position to come out on top with events that appeal to a broad range of guests, all who are craving important social interaction. I am excited to lead our franchisees as they create the lasting memories our guests have come to know us for across the country.”
Twist Brands made important pivots during the pandemic, with a major initiative being the introduction of its Twist at Home product line. Twist at Home provides at-home paint kits to guests with video instructions. The brand also debuted virtual live painting events and started the new event format Paint Pour, which has become the No. 1 artwork for the system since March. Although Covid-19 forced temporary studio closures, Color Me Mine is bouncing back with sales now reaching to within single digits of pre-pandemic 2019 numbers.
Bigley is bullish on Twist Brands’ future, saying, “The additional revenue streams for our franchisees are exciting for our brand and I am looking forward to collaborating with our owners to continue the momentum we are seeing in the space right now.”
Twist Brands was established late in 2020 as the umbrella company when New Orleans-based Painting with a Twist acquired Color Me Mine and Chesapeake Ceramics, a leading global ceramics supplier. Here’s an overview of the brands:
- Painting with a Twist, which started franchising in 2009, has more than 250 studios open or in development in 39 states. At studios, guests sip favorite beverages – often with groups of friends participating – while everyone uses acrylic paints to create an individualized version of the same picture. The company was recognized by the International Franchise Association’s Franchise Education & Research Foundation’s Franchising Gives Back Awards; Painting with a Twist has donated more than $5 million through its charity arm, Painting with a Purpose. Painting with a Twist has been ranked the No. 1 Paint and Sip franchise as part of Entrepreneur magazine’s annual Franchise 500 edition for the past seven years.
- Color Me Mine offers studios for painting your own ceramics and has 130-plus locations worldwide. The brand’s The Art Of Having Fun concept lets customers choose from more than 400 ceramic pieces and enjoy an hour or two of interaction while painting their pieces, which are left to be glazed, fired and picked up later.
Chesapeake Ceramics saw a big opportunity in the early 1990s, when paint-your-own-pottery studios came on the scene. It supplied bisque from Italy in large quantities for studios and their clients. Chesapeake Ceramics is the only supplier to offer officially licensed iconic characters from Star Wars, Marvel, Peanuts and Hello Kitty.