What Shop Small Saturday 2025 Means to Our Family
Shop Small Saturday 2025 marks the 15th year of celebrating and supporting small businesses, the backbone of our economy and the heart of our communities. For our family, this day is especially meaningful. It reminds us why we opened Cheers N Paint Art Studio and how far we’ve come as a family-owned paint and sip business in Cary, NC.
What started as a “retirement dream” over five years ago has grown into a true family-run venture filled with creativity, connection, and community impact.
How Our Family-Owned Paint and Sip Studio in Cary, NC Began
The journey began when Bob, whose background is in finance and real estate, came across a paint and sip studio for sale in Cary, NC. At the same time, our daughter Lauren was looking for a new direction. With her degree in art, experience in elementary education, and creative spark, the opportunity was a perfect fit. Kathy’s human-resources background rounded out the team, and with that, Cheers N Paint became a reality.
We proudly embrace the term family-owned and operated. Our studio really is like a second home. When you walk in, you might catch our granddaughters coloring at a table, Lauren organizing inventory, Bob delivering canvases from a local supplier, or Kathy helping set up paint stations on a busy day. Preparing for offsite events often turns our kitchen island into a sea of paint cups and “to-go” bags heading out for team-building parties. It’s busy, it’s hands-on, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.
Locally Owned vs. Local Franchise: Why Our Independence Matters
While we didn’t have the structure of a franchise, our years in the corporate world gave us a strong foundation to build upon. Lauren naturally became our creative lead and social-media guru. Most importantly, we all knew the kind of experience we wanted to create.
Because we purchased a business with an existing location, professional equipment, and an established customer base, we could focus our mission on what mattered most: providing a fun, creative, customer-centered experience.
Our tagline, “creating memories with paint,” truly guides everything we do. Being independent allows us to stay flexible and personal.
Here’s what that means for our customers:
- Personal service: When you call the studio, Lauren answers. When you email, a real person replies.
- Creative flexibility: We offer seasonal canvases but love customizing designs to match your theme or event.
- Community focus: We partner with local suppliers, hire local artists and students, and invest back into the community we live in.
- A tailored paint and sip experience: As Bob likes to say, “If you can dream it, we can deliver it.”
For anyone searching for a “paint and sip near me” experience that feels personal, connected, and welcoming, this independence is what makes the difference.
Custom Paint and Sip Events That Create Lasting Memories
Some of our most meaningful moments have come from custom paint and sip requests. These special events often capture milestones, celebrations, and heartfelt memories.
Here’s a few of our favorites:
- A milestone birthday surprise: A husband who wanted to surprise his wife for her milestone birthday. She loved to paint, but her closest friends lived in different states and they all had young kids. So, we mailed paint kits, arranged a late-evening Zoom class, and he even sent everyone their favorite wine. When she logged in and saw all her friends waiting to celebrate, her reaction said everything. They painted, laughed, and reconnected, and when their class ran over, we happily extended their Zoom time.
- A local university’s Hispanic Attorneys Club: This club wanted a canvas that reflected their journey. We created a custom silhouette of an attorney holding a briefcase. It wasn’t a typical “paint and sip” design, but it created a meaningful keepsake as the students prepared for graduation.
- Corporate and team-building events: We’ve had the privilege of customizing team-building events for small businesses as well, always mindful of budget and goals.
- A local book club’s yearly celebration: A local book club came to commemorate a year together. They requested a custom canvas with a bookshelf holding the titled books they had read together that year.
Over the years we’ve hosted everything from birthdays, reunions, bridal showers, and sorority events to more unique moments, a marriage proposal at a Valentine’s paint night, a Passover celebration with a custom-themed canvas for a local Jewish women’s group, and even a multi-state (and international!) corporate Zoom paint party.
These are the moments that remind us why we do what we do.
Of course, none of this would be possible without our talented artist-instructors, many of whom have been with us for years, as well as our wonderful webmaster who helped us build a strong online presence and keeps our customers connected to us.
Serving Our Cary, NC Community Through Kids’ Classes & Art Programs
Our independence also allows us to create new programs that reflect our family’s values, which is one of the most rewarding parts of our studio. Lauren’s love for art grew from a small neighborhood art school, and she wanted to offer that same experience to other young artists in our Cary, NC community.
From that vision came:
- Little Splatters weekly kids’ classes
- Advanced invitation-only art sessions
- School-break and summer art camps
As parents, we work hard to keep these programs affordable and offer discounts for siblings and frequent attendees. We also love hiring local students as camp counselors, many of whom later become instructors themselves.
These programs reflect our core value: creating accessible, meaningful art opportunities for every family.
A Family Tradition We Treasure
Our family has even taken advantage of a holiday family reunion paint party, which is one of our favorite memories! One Christmas we gathered at our son’s home and set up a Zoom room for others in different states. Three generations painted together that afternoon. Every year, we hang the snowman canvas we created that day and still argue over who has the “best” painting.
Celebrate Shop Small Saturday 2025 With Us
As Small Business Saturday approaches, we invite your family to create new memories with ours. The holiday season is the perfect time to begin (or continue!) creative traditions. We often see two or three generations painting together, laughing, relaxing, and discovering their artistic side.
Whether you’re looking for a paint and sip event near me, planning a family celebration, or booking a custom party, our team is here to make your experience warm, welcoming, and memorable for every age and ability. Plus, you’ll leave with more than a painting. You’ll take home a lasting reminder of the time spent together.
When you support a family-owned business like ours, you’re supporting real people, real artists, and real community impact.
Visit our website to learn more and see our Black Friday Week specials!
We can’t wait to paint with you!