Why I Bought

Alper had attended a master's program in New Jersey, but none of the other Ozocaks had ever lived in the U.S. The Ozocaks needed a reliable business plan if they were to support a growing family in a new country by opening their own store, and ArteVino had not yet established an adoptable franchise model.

Still, the Ozocaks, who benefit from a wealth of business experience, saw a unique upside in ArteVino compared to other franchises.

"I had read a lot about the paint-and-sip segment," said Bahar, who spent years working in marketing roles for multinational companies out of Turkey, "All the signs pointed toward long and steady growth for the industry, and ArteVino was the most exciting example of the concept we'd seen."

Alper, a career data analyst, saw in ArteVino a business that could be managed easily, with little day-to-day maintenance.

"There is a very appealing infrastructure," said Alper. "Most of the work is done online; online appointments, online payments, online event management. And they've given us great support to manage all that."

And while ArteVino did not yet have a franchisee, the Ozocaks saw the success of Eskinazi and Canale's second store as an indication that their model was scalable.

"We looked closely at both stores and the way that they applied a single system, and we saw the demographics that both were attracting, and we were confident that we could manage our own store with the same model and see the same success," said Bahar.

The Ozocak's projections proved sound. The pioneer licensees were able to apply the existing model to a third store and have had no trouble capitalizing on the growing consumer excitement for the concept.

"We're very busy, especially during the fall and winter months, when people are looking for a fun way to get out of the house," said Bahar. "But it's never difficult to manage. It's not like a retail store where you necessarily have to be there all day. If people want to buy something from the store, they buy it online. Most of my work is managing appointments and staffing for classes and events."

Alper is even less hands-on, spending most of his time managing another business.

"After the work of opening the store was complete, I was able to go back to a day job in data analytics," Alper said. "Now I mostly just support Bahar whenever she needs help. When we need to find a new vendor, I'll look around for the best deals, and I manage relations with our marketing partners. It's been a real luxury to not have to commit a specific amount of time to ArteVino each day."

That management flexibility is no happy accident. When Eskinzai and Canale crafted their franchise model, they designed a management system that could be quickly adopted and easily maintained, hoping to attract investors that already have other jobs—a rare proposition in the franchise world.

"The system can be managed by anyone who wants to be their own boss," said Canale. "An investor could hire staff, apply the system and essentially use ArteVino as a second income."

The Ozocak's store has done a lot to help grow the brand. Not only did a third location increase brand awareness and accessibility, the Ozocak's quick success proved to other potential investors that the model worked.

"The initial investment is very modest," said Canale. "ROI is quick compared to other concepts. A franchisee can be ROI positive in one year. And the management platform is already established. Investors can see this now, and we're seeing more and more interest from potential franchisees."

And while the brand is rapidly expanding—with six locations, the number of ArteVino studios now exceeds the number of years the brand has existed—the Ozocak's are content to manage their studio in New Jersey.

"We really just love the work," said Bahar. "People come here to have fun. It's not urgent care, it's a joyous setting. We get to work with art and artists, and we meet so many new and interesting people."