Monster Mini Golf vs Painting With A Twist
Monster Mini Golf vs Painting With A Twist: Monster Mini Golf costs $51K to $512K to open; Painting With A Twist costs $44K to $186K. Monster Mini Golf has 20 units, Painting With A Twist has 55. SBA loan history: Monster Mini Golf = 29 loans (17.2% default); Painting With A Twist = 67 loans (7.5% default). The franchise with more SBA funded units, a lower SBA default rate, and a lower royalty load is the safer financing bet; see the comparison below.
Monster Mini Golf vs Painting With A Twist: Capital, Scale & Lending Analysis
Analysis based on FDD filings and SBA 7(a) loan level data. Each pairing reflects a unique combination of capital intensity, system scale, and financing path.
Capital Intensity
Painting With A Twist requires the lower minimum capital commitment ($44K vs $51K for Monster Mini Golf), a 15% spread. Initial franchise fees come in at $40K for Monster Mini Golf versus $50K for Painting With A Twist, Monster Mini Golf has the lower entry fee. Ongoing royalty load is 7% for Monster Mini Golf and 6% for Painting With A Twist, giving Painting With A Twist the lighter per-unit drag on operating income.
System Scale & Tenure
On scale, Painting With A Twist operates 55 units to Monster Mini Golf's 20, roughly 3× the system size. Monster Mini Golf has been operating 22 years (founded 2004) versus 19 for Painting With A Twist (founded 2007), a 3-year tenure gap that affects unit-economics maturity and FDD revision history.
SBA Lending Profile
Painting With A Twist has the deeper SBA lending track record, with 67 7(a) approvals compared with 29 for Monster Mini Golf. Monster Mini Golf's peak SBA year was 2025 (5 loans); Painting With A Twist's peak was 2017 (13 loans). Monster Mini Golf's more recent peak generally indicates fresher lender appetite. Monster Mini Golf has the most SBA funded units in NJ, with 3. Painting With A Twist leads in TX, with 12. Borrowers should pick the brand whose strongest SBA state matches their own state for warmer lender introductions. Average SBA loan size on funded Monster Mini Golf deals is $889K vs $122K for Painting With A Twist, useful as a sizing anchor when modeling your own unit.
Risk Signal
SBA default rates are 17.2% for Monster Mini Golf and 7.5% for Painting With A Twist, Painting With A Twist has the cleaner SBA loss record by 9.7 points. PeerSense FPI scores come in at 55 (Moderate) for Monster Mini Golf and 57 (Moderate) for Painting With A Twist, giving Painting With A Twist the stronger composite signal across SBA performance, lender appetite, and operational consistency.
Health & Performance
FPI Score | 55/100 | 57/100 |
Health Tier | Moderate | Moderate |
Confidence | N/A | N/A |
Lending Trend | Declining | Declining |
SBA Lending
SBA Loans | 29 | 67 |
SBA Volume | – | – |
Default Rate | 17.2% | 7.5% |
Peer Tier | established | established |
Investment & Costs
Total Investment | $51K to $512K | $44K to $186K |
Franchise Fee | $40K | $50K |
Royalty Rate | 7% | 6% |
Ad Fund | 2% | 2% |
Liquid Capital | N/A | N/A |
Net Worth Required | N/A | N/A |
Financial Performance (Item 19)
Item 19 Status | Not Disclosed | Disclosed |
System Size & Operations
Total Units | 20 | 55 |
Franchised Units | 20 | 55 |
Company Owned | – | – |
Term Length | 5 yrs | 10 yrs |
Brand Information
Year Founded | 2004 | 2007 |
Franchising Since | N/A | 2009 |
Years Franchising | N/A | 17 yrs |
Headquarters | Providence, RI | ABILENE, TX |
Category | All Other Amusement | All Other Amusement |
Website | ||
FDD Year | 2025 | 2024 |
Which Is Better, Monster Mini Golf or Painting With A Twist?
Lower upfront capital required
Painting With A Twist
Monster Mini Golf: $51K starting · Painting With A Twist: $44K starting
More SBA lender confidence
Painting With A Twist
Monster Mini Golf: 29 SBA loans · Painting With A Twist: 67 SBA loans
Lower SBA default rate
Painting With A Twist
Monster Mini Golf: 17.2% · Painting With A Twist: 7.5%
Larger system & brand presence
Painting With A Twist
Monster Mini Golf: 20 units · Painting With A Twist: 55 units
Lower ongoing royalty load
Painting With A Twist
Monster Mini Golf: 7% · Painting With A Twist: 6%
More lender financing options
Painting With A Twist
Monster Mini Golf: 19 unique lenders · Painting With A Twist: 35 unique lenders
Decision matrix uses publicly disclosed FDD and SBA loan data. Not a recommendation. Your best franchise depends on capital, market, operating capacity, and risk tolerance.
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Monster Mini Golf vs Painting With A Twist: Franchise Funding Comparison
Comparing Monster Mini Golf and Painting With A Twist is about more than brand preference. It's about which franchise fits your financial profile and funding strategy. Investment ranges from $44K to $512K.
Monster Mini Golf has 29 SBA loans on record and Painting With A Twist has 67. Those totals are cumulative history rather than a measure of current appetite. Recent lending activity is trending down for at least one of these brands, so current lender appetite has to be checked deal by deal rather than assumed from the totals.
SBA 7(a) loans are the most common franchise funding vehicle, offering up to $5M with as little as 10% down. PeerSense connects franchise buyers with the specific lenders who have approved loans for these brands, not generic referrals, but lenders with actual franchise lending track records.
Data sourced from SBA loan records, Franchise Disclosure Documents, and public filings. Updated regularly. Not financial advice, consult with a lending professional before making investment decisions.
Monster Mini Golf vs Painting With A Twist, Frequently Asked Questions
Which is a better franchise investment, Monster Mini Golf or Painting With A Twist?
How much does a Monster Mini Golf franchise cost compared to Painting With A Twist?
Can I finance Monster Mini Golf or Painting With A Twist with an SBA loan?
Which has a lower SBA default rate, Monster Mini Golf or Painting With A Twist?
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Page Review
Reviewed by Edward L. Freeman, Founder and Managing Director, PeerSense
- PeerSense is a capital advisory firm that places commercial financing with direct capital sources; the capital source sets final terms.
- Edward L. Freeman founded PeerSense in January 2020.
- He is a Registered Franchise Consultant with Business Alliance, Inc., a credential issued in March 2022, and worked as a franchise consultant there from March 2022 to May 2023.
- His recorded experience includes a $22 million SBA construction loan, with about $16 million funded on the deal.
- In the 12 months through September 30, 2026, PeerSense tracked 912 publicly announced financings with a disclosed size of $361.32 billion. PeerSense Capital Data Report · Methodology page
Last reviewed LinkedIn profileAbout Edward Freeman