How to Start a Style Encore Franchise in 7 Steps: Checklist

The process starts with qualification and candidate evaluation, then moves through disclosure and contracting, territory and site work, lease review, training, buildout and systems, inventory and marketing readiness, and finally written opening approval. Winmark’s public Style Encore steps to ownership describe application, financial qualification, franchisee conversations, Discovery Day and final approval; the FDD and Franchise Agreement control the binding opening obligations.

Winmark’s current official franchise site states financial qualification thresholds of $400,000 net worth and $75,000–$105,000 in cash or other liquid assets, individually or with a financial partner. These are screening thresholds, not a guarantee of approval. The official application collects financial, location and background information and says acceptance is not a franchise grant.

The Exclusive Territory is the protected geographic area described in Exhibit A; the Development Area is the smaller area inside it where the Store site may be selected. The FDD says the Exclusive Territory is typically a 3–5 mile radius, with boundaries based on modeled population density, household income and traffic patterns. A site inside the Development Area still requires Winmark’s consent.

Winmark says it considers traffic patterns, access, competition, attractiveness, surrounding population, demographics, buyer behavior, size and rent. The franchisee remains solely responsible for locating and obtaining the site; Winmark’s assistance is not a guarantee of site success.

The FDD also says Winmark’s 1–2 days of pre-opening assistance typically occur 3–5 weeks before the actual opening. The Franchise Agreement makes the 12-month deadline more stringent by requiring the Store to open when the premises are ready for occupancy or within 12 months after agreement execution, whichever comes first.

Opening assistance is distinct from opening authorization. The 2026 FDD says Winmark provides opening assistance the day before and the day of the initial opening, but the Franchise Agreement says the Store may not open until Winmark gives written approval.

Mostly, but the 2026 FDD discloses an additional-store path rather than a separate area-development program. An existing Style Encore franchisee or franchisee of another Winmark brand who is in good standing and has been a Winmark franchisee for at least 12 months must sign the Additional Store Addendum when opening another Store; Winmark may waive the 12-month condition in its sole discretion.

The Addendum modifies two important opening points: the initial franchise fee is reduced for the additional Store, and Winmark may—but is not required to—provide the location, training or opening assistance otherwise described in Franchise Agreement Sections 7(A), 7(D) and 7(E). Existing multi-store operators therefore should confirm exactly which assistance Winmark will provide for the specific new location.

Under the FTC Franchise Rule, the prospective franchisee must receive the FDD at least 14 calendar days before signing a binding franchise agreement or paying money to the franchisor or its affiliate in connection with the proposed sale. The FTC also explains that a materially changed agreement can trigger a separate seven-calendar-day review period when the franchisor makes unilateral material changes that were not previously disclosed.

The March 16, 2026 FDD’s State Effective Dates page showed the listed franchise-registration states as “Pending” at issuance. Because those statuses can change, verify the current state-effective FDD and any state addendum for the buyer’s residence and proposed Store location. Style Encore’s official franchise disclaimer states that no franchise will be sold in a jurisdiction requiring registration until the offering is duly registered and effective there, subject to applicable exemptions.