Start a WineStyles Tasting Station Franchise in 2025

Franchise 500 Rank: N/R Not ranked last year

Initial investment: $298K - $610K

Units as of 2024: 11 0.0% over 3 years

WineStyles Tasting Station is a wine boutique franchise that focuses on learning about, tasting, and enjoying wine. WineStyles Tasting Station offers a wide selection of wine, craft beer, chocolates, artisanal cheeses, and other gourmet items with options that appeal to different palates.

Founded in 2002, WineStyles Tasting Station started its journey as a backyard barbeque blind taste test. The goal was to identify the best bottles rather than the most expensive ones. With multiple locations and growing demand for unique retail experiences, franchisees have the opportunity to bring the WineStyles Tasting Station experience to their local community.

Why You May Want to Start a WineStyles Tasting Station Franchise

WineStyles Tasting Station is looking for franchisees dedicated to outstanding service, authenticity, and self-expression. The ideal candidate is resourceful, timely, strategic, and persistent. If you believe you meet these qualifications, then opening a WineStyles Tasting Station may be the right move for you.

WineStyles Tasting Station is committed to delivering quality customer service while building a community atmosphere where friends, family, and colleagues are celebrated and rewarded with enriching encounters. Their modern approach of selecting wines based on taste rather than region or variety may allow for an innovative experience with the artistic discovery process.

What Might Make a WineStyles Tasting Station Franchise a Good Choice?

Opening a WineStyles Tasting Station franchise could offer a more predictable outcome than investing in a completely new brand that may struggle to thrive in an already crowded and competitive industry.

The potential responsibilities of a franchisee include:

Engaging with customers and clients.
Developing marketing strategies.
Overseeing day-to-day operations.

You should probably expect to be on the sales floor to answer customer questions about wine, organize and run wine tastings, and be knowledgeable about WineStyles Tasting Station’s other products.

To be part of the WineStyles Tasting Station team, you should make sure you're financially ready for an initial investment made up of a franchise fee and other startup costs. In addition, you should prepare yourself for ongoing fees that will include advertising, royalty, and potential renewal fees. Franchisees will also need to meet the company's set net worth and liquid capital requirements.

How To Open a WineStyles Tasting Station Franchise

Before making any financial commitment or signing an agreement, you must perform your due diligence and establish if this is the right opportunity for you. Is there enough demand for a wine boutique in your area? Could your community support a WineStyles Tasting Station that offers an inviting space for tastings, educational events, wine club memberships, artisan cheese and chocolate, small plates, and a gourmet retail experience?

You may also want to speak to existing franchisees and ask the team questions. For instance, how many employees will you need to have? What safety measures do you need to take during tastings?

WineStyles Tasting Station provides franchisees with various tools, including build-out, pre-opening training, operation and maintenance manuals, business management software, technology, and ongoing assistance. With welcoming floor plans and dynamic leadership, franchisees may taste their way to new and renewing experiences with their WineStyles Tasting Station franchise.

Company Overview

About WineStyles Tasting Station

Industry	Food
Related Categories	Miscellaneous Food/Beverage Businesses, Beverages
Founded	2002
Parent Company	Tasting Station Inc.
Leadership	Bryan McGinness, CEO
Corporate Address	5515 Mills Civic Pkwy., #120 West Des Moines, IA 50266
Social	Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest, TikTok

Business Overview

Franchising Since	2012 (13 years)
# of employees at HQ	6
Where seeking	This company is offering new franchises in the following US states: Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, District of Columbia, Delaware, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maine, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, Vermont, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Wyoming
# of Units	11 (as of 2024)

Information for Franchisees

Here's what you need to know if you're interested in opening a WineStyles Tasting Station franchise.

Financial Requirements & Ongoing Fees

Here's what you can expect to spend to start the business and what ongoing fees the franchisor charges throughout the life of the business.

Initial Franchise Fee Definition: The initial fee paid to a franchisor to join their system What you need to know: Found in Item 5 of the FDD, this may be a flat fee, or may vary based on territory size, experience, or other factors.The franchise fee is an up-front (one-time) cost that a new franchisee pays to the franchisor. This fee is usually due at the signing of the franchise agreement and covers the right to use the franchisor's trademarks, name, and related business systems.	$25,000
Initial Investment Definition: The total amount necessary to begin operation of the franchise What you need to know: The initial investment includes the franchise fee, along with other startup expenses such as real estate, equipment, supplies, business licenses, and working capital. This is outlined in a chart in Item 7 of the FDD, showing a range of possible costs from low to high.	$298,000 - $609,500
Net Worth Requirement Definition: The minimum net worth you must have in order to qualify to become a franchisee of this company What you need to know: Net worth is the value of a person's assets minus liabilities. Assets include cash, stocks, retirement accounts, and real estate. Liabilities include items like mortgages, car payments, and credit card debt.	$600,000
Cash Requirement Definition: The minimum liquid capital you must have available in order to qualify to become a franchisee of this company.	$225,500
Royalty Fee Definition: A ongoing fee paid to the franchisor on a regular basis. What you need to know: Most franchisors require franchisees to pay an ongoing royalty fee, which is detailed in Item 6 of the FDD. This fee is typically a percentage of weekly or monthly gross sales, but may also be a flat weekly, monthly, or annual fee.	6%
Ad Royalty Fee Definition: An going fee paid to the franchisor on a regular basis to support advertising or marketing efforts. What you need to know: This may also be called advertising fee, marketing fee, brand fund fee, and more, but the basic purpose is the same-- to support promotion of the brand systemwide. As with the royalty fee, it is detailed in Item 6 of the FDD, and can be a percentage of weekly or monthly gross sales or a weekly, monthly, or annual fee.	3%
Term of Agreement Definition: The length of time your franchise agreement will last. What you need to know: Franchise terms are typically anywhere from 5 to 20 years in length, but are sometimes instead dependent on factors such as the term of your lease. Once your term is up, you may have the option to renew your agreement, typically for a smaller fee than the original franchise fee.	10 years
Is franchise term renewable?	Yes

Training & Support Offered

Franchisors offer initial training programs and a variety of ongoing support options to help franchisees run their businesses.

On-The-Job Training	18 hours
Classroom Training	40 hours
Ongoing Support	Newsletter Meetings & Conventions Toll-Free Line Grand Opening Online Support Lease Negotiation Field Operations Site Selection Proprietary Software Franchisee Intranet Platform
Marketing Support	Ad Templates Social Media SEO Website Development Email Marketing Loyalty Program/App

Operations

Additional details about running this franchise.

Is absentee ownership allowed?	No
Can this franchise be run from home/mobile unit? Definition: The business can be run from your home and/or a vehicle, and it is not necessary to have a retail facility, office space, or warehouse.	No
Can this franchise be run part time? Definition: This business can be run by the owner on a part-time basis (less than 40 hours per week) and/or as a side business; it is not necessary for the business to be open/run full-time.	No
Are exclusive territories available? Definition: An exclusive territory is a fixed area in which you are given the right to operate and in which no other units of the same franchise may be opened. What you need to know: Territory size may be based on factors such as radius, population size, zip codes, and more. Details can be found in Item 12 of the FDD.	No