Franchise Overview

Marketing forecaster Faith Popcorn analyzes the upsurge in paint-your-own ceramic studios this way: "I think it's part of two trends - 'cocooning,' because pottery is a way to enhance your home, and 'anchoring,' because pottery comes from the earth and it's something you make yourself."

Color Me Mine, the leader in the contemporary ceramics industry, expresses this spirit beautifully. Each of its locations is an upscale art-as-entertainment studio offering unfinished ceramics and other craft media. Customers enter a relaxing environment, choose one of 350 unfinished pieces, and spend an hour or two painting it to express their own vision. Ceramic pieces are left to be glazed and fired, then picked up later.

Based in Glendale, California, Color Me Mine was founded in 1992. There are over 150 studios open and under development in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Netherlands, France, Germany, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Philippines, Kuwait, Taiwan and Australia. Color Me Mine has no other priority than the support of our franchise owners.

President Mike Mooslin says, "As the only international chain in the contemporary ceramics industry, Color Me Mine is addressing the industry's concerns that this is a fad and that it's an easy business to enter. Our focus is on long-term stability through product diversification, proprietary innovations, centralized marketing, and operating systems that are difficult and expensive for independent operators to replicate."

According to Maria Baker, Executive Director of Franchise Development, "When you own a Color Me Mine studio, you gain several important advantages over individuals who choose to go into business on their own. As a franchise owner, you are part of an established system of operations from the moment you open your studio. You receive ten days of comprehensive training and have access to experts with years of business experience in the field so that you don't have to rely on your own trial and error. You become part of a team of savvy operators who meet annually to share experience and expertise, log onto a franchisee web site for marketing materials and ideas, and become part of an organization that has national name brand recognition."

Product consistency and supply sources have been an on-going challenge in the ceramics industry. Color Me Mine's licensed factories ensure supply sources of high quality products with a consistent clay base.

Color Me Mine's unique concept offers the franchise owner a business that requires low start-up capital, is fun to operate, is difficult to compete against, and that makes a worthwhile contribution to the community. Even after factoring in the 5% royalty and 1% national marketing fund contribution, Color Me Mine franchise owners enjoy a lower cost of goods sold and lower studio operating expenses than independent studio operators average.

Franchises for new locations and studio conversions are available throughout the United States and abroad.