Top Experiential Franchises Over 50 Units

In the age of Netflix, which makes the idea of staying home instead of going out just so inviting, we have to hand it to the people who find - and create - creative ways to have fun. Forget about just hitting up your favorite restaurant and/or bar - although there is certainly nothing wrong with that - and think about trying something new at least once.

From boat clubs to campgrounds to escape rooms and more, there are many different ways to franchise a venture that is more on the fun and adventurous side. (Hint: America simply adores its paint-and-sip options).

Here are 10 franchises with more than 50 locations that pride themselves in helping create unforgettable experiences.

Painting With a Twist

Unit count: 300+

Investment range: $89,300 - $188,300

This particular paint-and-sip franchise started in 2007 under the name of Corks N Canvas as a way to help the local community after Hurricane Katrina. Pretty soon, Painting With a Twist owners realized people were more interested in the experience aspect than anything else, so the Mandeville, Louisiana-based company started franchising in 2009. Thirty-two percent of franchise partners have multiple studio locations. Painting With a Twist has created more than nine million paintings in 39 states and has more than 9,000 copyrighted original artworks. The brand has received major recognition from Entrepreneur magazine.

Wine and Design

Unit count: 76+    

Investment range: $66,800 - $165,000

Wine and Design offers two-hour classes, and its most popular reasons for people gathering with them include baby showers, bachelorette parties, and birthday parties. In addition to paint-and-sip classes, this franchise offers art classes for children and opportunities to paint things other than canvases (think mugs and other handmade gifts). The brand even offers painting classes at venues outside of the studio and will go to private homes. Franchisee training is thorough and even extends to the artists who work in the studios and conduct classes. The North Carolina-based franchise has 10 new studios coming soon, including its first locations in the states of Washington, Louisiana and Colorado.

Freedom Boat Club

Unit count: 150+

Investment range: $144,200 - $193,700

Freedom Boat Club was started in Sarasota, Florida in 1989 with the aim of providing affordable boating options to the masses. Each market chooses the boats it wants to offer customers, and every boat has US Coast Guard-required equipment. All boats are owned by the Freedom Boat Club, and every location offers free boat training and boat safety classes. Customer service, training and open communication are major priorities with this franchise, and the brand believes every member should be greeted warmly at the dock. A dock crew helps members load their gear onto the boat. Oh, and you can bring your pet onboard with you.

Kampgrounds of America

Unit count: 487+

Investment range: $1,800,000 - $2,250,000

This camping franchise sets up camping spaces for outdoor enthusiasts. There are three kinds of Kampgrounds of America locations depending on what level of luxury and convenience customers might want: KOA Journey, KOA Holiday and KOA Resort. KOA Journey campgrounds are located near highways and byways and are meant for campers to park and provide premium tent sites. Then there are KOA Holiday locations, which provide cabins complete with bathrooms and RV sites with KOA patios. KOA Resort location offerings include deluxe cabins, premium tent sites, and a resort-style pool. Many of the KOA campgrounds are wheelchair friendly. New franchisees will attend KOA University, a 5-day training session.

Pinot’s Palette

Unit count: 140+

Investment range: $97,450 - $305,000

Pinot’s Palette was founded in Houston in 2009. The company runs a fun blog in which the brand showcases its personality and dispenses advice such as what to wear to a painting party (Hint: It’s not a messy business, so leave the disposable clothes at home and wear something nice!) Pinot’s Palette has a reward system called Pinot Perks that is based on how many wine bottle corks you accumulate and also has a fundraising program called Painting it Forward (check out the brand’s recent efforts in the wake of Hurricane Harvey). An artistic background is not required to franchise, though an ideal candidate should possess good managerial skills and “generate good will in the community.”  

The Spice and Tea Exchange

Unit count: 50+

Investment range: $200,550 - $356,150

Started in 2005 in Augustine, Florida under the name of Old Spice Traders, The Spice and Tea Exchange franchise sells spices, tea blends, sugars and salts. Walk into a store and fragrant doesn’t even begin to describe it. The stores are purposefully decorated as an 18th Century Trading Post; indeed, the company considers its in-store experience to be “one of our greatest assets.” The company started franchising in 2008 and has a heavy presence on the East Coast. In addition to offering all kinds of spices aimed at improving your meal, the brand sells an assortment of other items for the home and kitchen as well as Spa Crates, the contents of which are designed to help you relax.

Sky Zone

Unit count: 180+

Investment range: $1,343,813 - $2,794,230

Sky Zone trampoline franchise was founded in 2004, and safety is the name of the game (the brand has some very clear-cut rules listed on its website). Each facility is a wall-to-wall trampoline park, but don’t think visitors will just be jumping around. Sky Zone locations offer a variety of possibilities, from Ultimate Dodgeball to Skyhoops (a version of basketball) to Skyjoust, which allows you to take part in a “gladiator jousting battle.” And it’s not all intense stuff for the adults. They’ve got an exclusive Toddler Zone for the mini-jumpers. In the last year, Sky Zone was acquired by CircusTrix. The franchise has gotten quite a bit of recognition for its rapid growth.

Beef Jerky Outlet

Unit count: 100+    

Investment range: $215,750 - $394,900

Potential franchise owners with a very specific palate might consider Beef Jerky Outlet. The jerky franchise prides itself on being a family-friendly location that gives out free samples, so franchise owners should certainly keep that in mind. Indeed, the brand encourages visitors to make a Family Friendly Event out of it, and also sells some pretty funny T-shirts, all of which say “PETA People Eating Tasty Animals” on the front and have some kind of meat-friendly saying on the back (One example: If it has a name, it’s a pet. If not, make jerky out of it). Beef Jerky Outlet offers special incentives to veterans who are looking to franchise.

Claustrophobia

Unit Count: 150+

Investment range: $30,000 - $150,000

International franchise Claustrophobia started in Russia in August 2014 and has grown to a presence in eight countries today. It has created 110 “unique scenarios” for patrons to escape from and prides itself on its attention to detail, which it said was missing from earlier escape rooms in Europe and Asia. In an interview with Nowescape, an escape room-booking blog, one of Claustrophobia’s founders, Bogdan Kravtsov, noted that Claustrophobia offered escape rooms for children that also allow parents to play, athletic escape rooms that require participants to use some muscle, and escape rooms that feature actors (there’s even an amusement park). This year, the company received a Certificate of Excellence from TripAdvisor.

Bio-One

Unit count: 50+ networks

Investment range: $80,835 - $124,535

We’ve saved the only morbid one for last: Bio-One is a cleaning company that specializes in biohazard cleanup. If a crime or suicide has taken place, for example, a Bio-One team will clean up the mess. It was ranked at #344 in Entrepreneur Magazine’s Franchise 500 list in 2018. Services include blood spill cleanup, hoarding cleanup, odor removal and emergency vehicle decontamination, among others. The brand offers these services on a 24/7 basis, so it will not be the best fit for franchise owners looking for a more balanced lifestyle. The company’s main motto is “Help First, Business Second,” and its core values include self-control, positive attitude and humility. It touts the business as being recession-proof and one where franchisees can help keep their communities safe.