Painting with a Twist Taps Franchisee as New CEO and Co-Owner

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Sep 22, 2022, 11:23 ET

Franchisee Todd Owen & New Ownership to Lead National Paint-and-Sip Brand

NEW ORLEANS, Sept. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Painting with a Twist, the nation's original and largest paint-and-sip studio franchise, has named franchisee Todd Owen as the company's CEO and co-owner. Owen has been a multi-unit Painting with a Twist franchisee since 2014 and is already taking his knowledge of operating multiple successful studios and a franchisee-first approach to help guide the company at the franchisor level.

Owen stepped in as CEO in August of 2021, and gained ownership of Twist Brands, alongside Teresa Johnson, serial entrepreneur and multi-unit franchisee of Painting with a Twist, and Dave Chmura, who is a partner within Owen's supply company, TD Art Supply. Cathy Deano, Co-Founder and Co-Owner since the beginning, will remain a creative eye and stay heavily involved in the art aspect of the brand.

With 31 years of experience at a major wholesale retailer, Owen leveraged his extensive knowledge of the business world to invest in four studios in the Tampa, FL area. Quickly becoming an influential owner, he also served as an elected member of the Painting with a Twist Franchise Advisory Council. Shortly after, Owen founded TD Art Supply, a major supplier of art supplies in the U.S. Owen is passionate about what Twist provides owners and communities across the country. Giving back is a core value of the brand. Through its philanthropic arm, Painting with a Purpose, the company has been able to raise over 7 million dollars for non-profit organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, Multiple Sclerosis, Odyssey House, and the Vera Bradley Breast Cancer Foundation.

Resilience is a common theme at Painting with a Twist. The company was founded through an effort to rebuild the community after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans. At that time, they provided community members with an artistic and social outlet in the midst of the chaos. Similarly, when COVID-19 hit in 2020, Painting with a Twist once again provided people with memorable experiences in different ways and continues to do so, as the world rebounds from the pandemic.

"Innovation through obstacles is how the concept was established and has remained our sentiment throughout these last two years," said Cathy Deano, Co-Founder of Painting with a Twist. "During this tough time, we formed Twist Brands as the parent company to further the Arts & Crafts entertainment category, we launched Twist at Home Paint Kits, and we appointed Todd Owen as CEO to cultivate the brand's impact across the United States when franchisees and consumers needed positive change the most."

Owen's first matter of business was maximizing the half-a-million square feet of retail storefront to expand sales beyond the busy evening hours on Friday and Saturday nights. Over the last nine months, the system has rolled out a new Pop In and Paint strategy that has attracted more customers during off-peak times. Through this walk-in DIY style initiative and a re-focusing of priorities, Painting with a Twist's average unit volume has returned to 2019, pre-pandemic levels and is expected to surpass those numbers by the end of this year

"Collaboration among franchisees and the home office team was vital to align on efforts that would catapult us in this new era of growth and direction," said Owen. "From refreshed marketing strategies to adopting technology to effectively communicating with customers to increase engagement, we're breathing new life into our time-tested concept to remain a top choice as consumers seek shared experiences."

To remain the craft entertainment of choice for celebratory milestones, anniversaries, date nights, black light events, birthdays, team building events, proposals and more, Painting with a Twist is gearing up to open seven new locations, one which will mark the brand's second dual-brand studio with Color Me Mine. As the brand continues to enter new markets, the company is also currently developing the next phase of innovation for the Pop In & Paint daytime revenue sector.

About Painting with a Twist®

Painting with a Twist, based in the New Orleans, Louisiana metropolitan area is the original and leading paint and sip franchise with 230 studios open or in development in 37 states. Guests have painted more than 10 million paintings at studios throughout the country since Painting with a Twist started franchising in 2009. The brand was founded by entrepreneurs Cathy Deano and Renee Maloney, two friends with a knack for organizing communities and a passion for giving back. The company maintains a strong focus on giving back to the local community, and was recently recognized by the International Franchise Association's Franchise Education & Research Foundation's Franchising Gives Back Awards. For more information about Painting with a Twist, visit https://www.paintingwithatwist.com.

Media Contact: Angelic Venegas, Fishman Public Relations, 630-853-9443 or [email protected]

SOURCE Painting with a Twist