Franchisee Friday, Marianne and Craig Burt, Wine & Design

In the midst of the recession, Marianne Burt and her husband, Craig Burt, were dealing with the loss of income (both self-employed artists) and about to lose their house. Both graduating out of one of the prestigious art schools in the country, SAIC (School of the Art Institute of Chicago), Marianne interviewed for a local artist job opening on Craigslist. Little did she know, that this job of teaching for two hours to locals would lead her to open up her own business and the first ever franchise location for Wine & Design the leading paint and sip franchise that provides a chic and upbeat space for painting classes of all ages and experience levels. Her husband, Craig, on the other hand, comes with an extensive background in digital imaging in advertising. Working together and knowing each other’s strengths, Marianne and Craig introduced the concept of tracing, teaching skills and techniques that has helped set a strong foundation for future franchise locations. To date, they own two Wine & Design franchises in Cary, NC and Apex, NC.

To learn more about Wine & Design, visit our Franchise Directory and search under the Retail Stores: Specialty category.