The Wine Culture

Wine is more than just a beverage—it’s a cultural symbol that millions of people around the world associate with celebration, relaxation, and connection.

The U.S. Wine Industry

When it comes to winemaking, the United States is at the forefront of the conversation. The U.S. wine industry is a $107 billion market (Statista), making it the largest wine market in the world. Amongst the best vineyards in the world are located in the country.

Yet, despite its size, the industry remains geographically concentrated, with 80% of wineries located in just six states. The remaining 20% are scattered throughout 44 states. 

The U.S. wine industry is driven by a growing preference for unique, high-quality experiences, with traditional wine aficionados constantly traveling to visit vineyards and immersing themselves in the culture and craft of winemaking. Millennials and Gen Z are also reshaping the market by seeking sustainable and artisanal wines, often favoring brands that emphasize authenticity and storytelling.

Visiting a winery offers something a bottle on a store shelf never can - a connection to the craft and the stories behind each bottle.

However… for most wine enthusiasts, this experience is out of reach. There is a huge gap between their love for wine and their understanding of how it’s made. A select few wine lovers have actually witnessed firsthand the wine-making process.

Millions of people who regularly drink wine are unable to live this experience.

Waters Edge Wineries

The Solution

We are transforming the wine industry with its urban winery franchise system, bringing the art, science, and pleasure of winemaking to communities across the U.S. Our model eliminates the traditional barriers tied to grape-growing regions, allowing us to establish wineries anywhere. By creating a scalable franchise system, we’re opening the door for the other 44 states to experience the magic of local wineries, complete with handcrafted wines and immersive winemaking experiences—all without competing with vineyard-based producers. We enable anyone to own a winery and bring the winemaking experience to their local communities.

Urban Wineries, What Are They?

Urban wineries are 4,000 to 5,000 sq. ft. spaces in retail settings dedicated to the craft of winemaking. They’re not restaurants but working wineries that produce and sell their own wines on-site. The process starts with importing grape must, which is placed in tanks to undergo fermentation, followed by clarification and bottling—all done locally at every winery.

Visitors can:

• Learn the stories behind each wine, its origins, and see the winemaking process.
• Have intimate settings for tastings, paired with locally inspired culinary options.
• Purchase Waters Edge Wineries’ exclusive wines.
• Gather with other wine aficionados to celebrate the winemaking process.

Philosophy & Vision

At Waters Edge Wineries, we celebrate the incredible world of wine by creating spaces where knowledge and enjoyment go hand in hand. For us, wine is more than a beverage—it’s a story of regions, cultures, and traditions. Whether it’s the volcanic slopes of Mount Ararat in Armenia or historic vineyards around the world, we bring these stories to life for those who want to explore them. Our goal is to share the depth of winemaking with everyone, creating a meaningful and immersive experience for every guest.

Our onboarding process is created to set up franchisees for success

We’ve got everything dialed in to guide franchisees on a step-by-step journey, so they don’t have to figure it out on their own. We’ve done the work, solved the challenges, and now we’re passing that knowledge on.

The journey begins with pre-training, including access to a detailed operations manual, a 12-week online learning program, and weekly calls with the Director of Training to cover foundational winemaking knowledge and business operations.

Franchisees then move into hands-on training with four in-person visits at their winery, covering each step of the winemaking process—fermentation, clarification, and bottling. This training is complemented by tailored support during the winery buildout, lease negotiations, and the grand opening phase.

Post-launch, franchisees benefit from ongoing support, including weekly virtual meetings with the Franchise Support Director, monthly performance reviews, and an annual in-depth assessment.

This turnkey approach ensures every owner feels confident, prepared, and fully supported from day one.

Who do we target?

We’re looking for driven, business-minded individuals who share a passion for creating exceptional experiences.

To maximize profitability, we target franchise locations with high revenue potential, focusing on spaces of 4,000 square feet or more, which allow for more seating and greater customer capacity.

This approach helps us guarantee an average annual royalty contribution of over $60,000 per franchise, with revenue targets of $1.2 million or more. To ensure each location meets the revenue targets, we provide end-to-end support, including site selection (through brokers and in-person evaluations), design assistance from our construction partner, and our robust training. By prioritizing driven, business-savvy owners, we maintain a high standard of operational excellence across our network.

The franchise-based revenue model is designed for scalability and long-term profitability

Once a new winery is onboarded, the incremental costs are minimal, as the system is already optimized to support franchisees with proven processes and resources. This creates a highly efficient, high-EBITDA business model where the ongoing royalties offer significant margins with minimal operational overhead.

Each additional winery not only enhances brand presence but also strengthens the network’s profitability with almost no added cost. This approach ensures sustainable growth and attractive returns for investors.

Waters Edge Winery & Bistro of Broken Arrow, in suburban Tulsa, Oklahoma, showcases the model’s success

Opened in December 2018, it generated $1M in operating revenue within its first year. By 2021, the owners expanded to a second private event location, and in 2023, the winery achieved $2.4M in revenue. With over 1,000 wine club members contributing $40–$80 per month (each), the location has built a stable, recurring revenue stream while maintaining strong community engagement and excitement.

Our success is their success

Hear it from the franchisees

Awards our wineries have earned

Click on this link to watch a video about our Kalispell, Montana location being recognized by "America's Best Restaurants."

The boom of microbreweries validates our concept

Microbreweries have proven the massive potential of localized craft production. Their growth proves that consumers crave unique, community-driven experiences over mass-produced options. With thousands of microbreweries thriving nationwide, the model has become a cornerstone of the beverage industry, validating the demand for local, artisanal offerings.

Yet, no one has applied this proven model to wine—until now.

Our traction suggests clear signs of product-market fit

We have a nationwide presence

How have we grown the company to where it is today?

So far, we’ve grown our franchise network through two primary channels.

How will we fuel our growth going forward?

1. Targeting the right people. We target C-suite executives with proven leadership experience and a history of building successful organizations. Our newest locations—Dallas, Chattanooga, Hilton Head, Richmond, VA, and Akron—are already showing promising results. These leaders are transitioning from corporate careers to pursue a passion-driven venture with strong potential for success. Additionally, we’ve realized the importance of larger winery locations. Smaller spaces simply don’t align with the revenue targets we aim to achieve per winery. Prioritizing the right owners and spaces is key to our long-term success.
2. Strong digital strategy and events. We’ll focuse on growing the one-third of franchisees we already acquire through organic searches. By investing in a strong digital strategy, we can connect directly with entrepreneurs through targeted social media campaigns. With minimal competition in this space, ranking high and gaining visibility online is both achievable and cost-effective, eliminating the need for broker commissions. We’ll attend franchise trade shows where buyers go to review franchise brands available in their markets and attend shows where we can see growth opportunities in the US.
3. Targeted ad campaigns. Our strategy focuses on having ads in affluent areas lacking local winery options—places where grapes don’t grow, but the love for wine is strong. It’s a target-rich environment, and we’re ready to make the most of it.

Pipeline

New franchises awarded in 18 months: 28, representing a nearly 100% increase in locations.

Competitive Landscape

No one else is doing what we’re doing.

While traditional wineries are tied to specific regions and vineyards, we’ve created a way to bring the winery experience to any community. As the only franchise model like this, we’re in a unique position to meet the growing demand for local, handcrafted wine experiences.

Financial Projections

The A team that will lead this expansion

The Ask

We’re raising $500K to market this on a much larger scale, build the infrastructure to support this growth and hire someone to lead franchise development.

We expect to have 35 operating wineries by 2027 and 50 by 2028.

Click here to listen to a recorded webinar explaining more details about how you can participate. Or, join one of our scheduled webinars, which we host regularly. Click here to see upcoming options. Webinars are shown at the bottom of the page.

Our Vision for Growth & Investor Returns

Waters Edge Wineries is on a strategic path to expand to 50 locations within the next three years, strengthening our national presence and brand value. This growth trajectory is designed to position us as an attractive acquisition target for a larger franchise portfolio company.

Our goal is to create a meaningful liquidity event for investors within 3-5 years, offering the potential for not only recovering the initial investment but also achieving a healthy return as our valuation increases. By investing today, you’re joining us at a pivotal moment—one that could lead to significant upside as we scale and position Waters Edge Wineries for long-term success.