The Mud Room
The Mud Room is a single-location DIY art studio in Grand Rapids, Michigan offering walk-in pottery painting, potter's wheel classes, glass fusing, wood signs, birthday parties, and the Camp Mud summer program. Founded in 1996, it serves families and adults as a locally-owned small business.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1996
- HeadquartersGrand Rapids, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What The Mud Room does
The Mud Room Inc. is a locally-owned, single-location DIY art studio operating at 1971 E Beltline Avenue NE at Knapp's Corner in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Founded in 1996 originally in Ada, the studio has remained a small, founder-controlled business with one physical site, no subsidiaries, and no disclosed institutional funding. Its core activity is walk-in pottery painting during open studio hours, supplemented by structured potter's wheel classes, glass fusing, and DIY wood sign making. The studio also runs an events business centered on a dedicated party room that seats up to 16, a summer art camp called Camp Mud, school field trips, and handprint keepsake services. The Mud Room is not a technology company; it is a physical retail experience with no proprietary platform, no mobile app, and no software product. Its commerce layer runs on Square, which powers its online gift card store, email enrollment program, and in-person payments.
The business model is transactional and consumer-facing. Revenue is generated primarily from per-visit open studio activity fees across its creative offerings, plus group reservations, private parties, camp tuition, and gift card sales. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; gift cards are the only item with online price transparency. The studio operates Wednesday–Friday 10–8, Saturday–Sunday 10–5, and is closed Mondays. Customer acquisition is driven by Instagram, a Square-powered email list, the studio website, and local SEO anchored by grkids.com recognition — including being voted Top Art Class/Studio for Kids and a Top 10 Birthday Party Venue for nine consecutive years. Two customer segments are targeted horizontally: kids and families (birthday parties, camps, field trips) and adults and the general public (open studio, wheel classes, social outings, gift creation). The Mud Room is incorporated in Michigan, has no patents, trademarks, certifications, or regulatory actions on record, and competes as a small independent within the paint-your-own-pottery category.
The Mud Room firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Mud Room
- Legal name
- The Mud Room Inc.
- Website
- https://themudroom.us
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1996
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- The Mud Room is a single-location DIY art studio in Grand Rapids, Michigan offering walk-in pottery painting, potter's wheel classes, glass fusing, wood signs, birthday parties, and the Camp Mud summer program. Founded in 1996, it serves families and adults as a locally-owned small business.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Mud Room industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Arts and Crafts Studio
- NAICS
- Amusement and Theme Parks (713110)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Arts & Crafts Workshops (Painting, Pottery, Ceramics, Sculpture) (THAJAKAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Arts & Design Camps (Visual Arts, Crafts, Design Thinking) (EDAMALAH)
Keywords
Where The Mud Room is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Grand Rapids
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Mud Room business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Open Studio Activity Fees: Pay-per-visit fees for open studio activities where customers paint pottery, create wood signs, or participate in glass fusing during designated studio hours. No specific pricing disclosed.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
The Mud Room product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Mud Room is a single-location DIY art studio in Grand Rapids, MI, offering walk-in pottery painting, structured classes (pottery wheel, wood signs, glass fusing), and group events such as birthday parties, summer camps, and field trips. All offerings are designed for beginners and walk-in customers, with the studio claiming the largest selection of pottery in the Grand Rapids area.
Product overview
The Mud Room is a single-location DIY art studio offering a portfolio of creative activities centered around pottery and crafts. The core experience consists of walk-in pottery painting during Open Studio hours, supplemented by structured Potter's Wheel classes, DIY Wood Signs, and Glass Fusing activities. The studio also provides group event services including Birthday Parties (in a Party Room seating up to 16), Camp Mud summer program, Field Trips, and Handprint keepsake services. Gift products include Digital eGift Cards and Physical Gift Cards sold through the Square e-commerce platform. All activities cater to beginners with no artistic experience required.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Pottery Painting Walk-in pottery painting experience at the studio, featuring the largest selection of pottery in the Grand Rapids area. Designed for beginners and casual drop-in customers of all ages.
- Pottery Wheel Classes Structured hands-on pottery wheel instruction for beginners. Designed for individuals seeking guided creative learning in a small-group class setting.
- Wood Sign Workshops DIY wood sign painting workshops offered at the studio. Targeted at beginners and casual participants seeking a hands-on creative project.
- Glass Fusing Glass fusing art experiences offered at the studio. Target audience is beginners and walk-in customers interested in a unique creative medium.
- Birthday Parties Hosted birthday party events at the studio for children and families. Designed for parents and guardians seeking a supervised, creative party venue.
- Summer Camps Summer camp programming for children at the studio. Designed for parents seeking supervised, creative activities for children during the summer months.
- Field Trips Group field trip experiences offered to schools and youth organizations. Designed for teachers and group organizers seeking structured, educational creative outings.
- Gift Cards Prepaid gift cards available for purchase online and redeemed at the studio for any of the art experiences, classes, or events. Designed for individuals purchasing gifts for friends, family, and creative enthusiasts.
Companies that use The Mud Room
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
The Mud Room technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
The Mud Room partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The Mud Room competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Kidcreate Studio: Kidcreate Studio is a franchise of children's art education studios offering art classes, camps, and birthday parties for kids. It is directly comparable to The Mud Room's Camp Mud, birthday parties, and kids' field-trip offerings within the same single-studio format.
- Pinot's Palette: Pinot's Palette is a national paint-and-sip studio chain offering guided painting classes, private events, and walk-in creative sessions. Comparable to The Mud Room in studio-format, event-driven GTM, and adult leisure customer base.
- Color Me Mine: Color Me Mine is the largest paint-your-own-pottery studio franchise in the U.S., offering walk-in pottery painting for all ages with no experience required. It is the closest scaled analog to The Mud Room's core open-studio pottery painting model and birthday party offering.
- Board & Brush Creative Studio: Board & Brush is a national franchise of DIY wood sign workshops where customers build and paint custom wood home décor in a guided studio setting. It directly mirrors The Mud Room's DIY Wood Signs product line and shared-format party/event business model.
- Painting with a Twist: Painting with a Twist is a paint-and-sip studio franchise offering guided painting classes for adults in a social, walk-in studio environment. While the medium differs, the studio format, party/event revenue, and beginner-friendly customer experience closely parallel The Mud Room's adult offerings.
- As You Wish Pottery: As You Wish is a paint-your-own-pottery studio chain with walk-in seating, classes, and party packages. It competes head-to-head with The Mud Room on open-studio pottery painting, kids' birthday parties, and beginner-friendly creative experiences.
- AR Workshop: AR Workshop is a national DIY workshop franchise offering guided classes in wood signs, home décor, and related crafts in a studio-party format. It overlaps directly with The Mud Room's wood signs offering, party/event structure, and beginner-friendly positioning.
Regional players
- Picasso's Corner: Picasso's Corner is a regionally known paint-your-own-pottery studio serving as a comparable single-market operator with similar open-studio, class, and party offerings. Useful as a same-format, single-market benchmark rather than a scaled competitor.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
The Mud Room social profiles
Digital presenceThe Mud Room financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Mud Room leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
The Mud Room funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Mud Room M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Mud Room
What does The Mud Room do?
The Mud Room is a single-location DIY art studio in Grand Rapids, MI, offering walk-in pottery painting, structured classes (pottery wheel, wood signs, glass fusing), and group events such as birthday parties, summer camps, and field trips. All offerings are designed for beginners and walk-in customers, with the studio claiming the largest selection of pottery in the Grand Rapids area.
Is The Mud Room a public or private company?
The Mud Room is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was The Mud Room founded?
The Mud Room was founded in 1996. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is The Mud Room based?
The Mud Room is headquartered in Grand Rapids, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Mud Room make money?
One revenue line is on record: open Studio Activity Fees.
Who are The Mud Room's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Kidcreate Studio, Pinot's Palette, Color Me Mine, Board & Brush Creative Studio, Painting with a Twist, As You Wish Pottery and AR Workshop. Picasso's Corner is listed as a regional player.
Does The Mud Room have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Mud Room.
What industry is The Mud Room in?
The Mud Room's product category is Arts and Crafts Studio. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAJAKAA, Arts & Crafts Workshops (Painting, Pottery, Ceramics, Sculpture), with a secondary code of EDAMALAH, Arts & Design Camps (Visual Arts, Crafts, Design Thinking). Its NAICS code is 713110 and its SIC code is 7900.