Cary Wine & Design, Cary

Art was the driving force in Craig Burt and Marianne Conti Burt's lives long before they opened Cary Wine and Design. The two met at The School of The Art Institute of Chicago in the early 1980s, when both were pursuing BFA degrees. Eventually, the two—now husband and wife—settled in Raleigh, and in 2011 they opened the first Wine & Design franchise in the state. They made sure their particular brand of art lived up to their high standards, from the quality of their professional instructions to use of cloth napkins. They also assembled an expert team of fellow instructors who are all talented artists in their own rights.

Together, these professional artists host nightly classes for students of all skill levels. Stroke by stroke, they help groups create one of more than 1,000 painting options, including works in the style of Van Gogh. The instructors work within two studio rooms, each equipped with a separate sound system that plays music during lessons. When they're not leading adult classes and kid's classes and camps, the artists host pet portrait sessions and private painting parties or bring their mobile studio to homes and businesses in Cary and surrounding area. Cary Wine and Design was recently honored with a Community Service Award from the Cary Chamber of Commerce, and was recognized as the Highest Performing Wine & Design franchise in 2012.