Become a Mainstream Boutique Owner in Minnesota
17 boutiques across the Twin Cities, Duluth, Mankato, and beyond. The home state of a 35-year story. Wide open territories still waiting for the next Minnesota owner.
Award-Winning Franchise
As Featured In
Why Minnesota
Because this is where it all started — and we're not done yet.
Marie DeNicola founded Mainstream in a Minnesota basement in 1991, with $4,500 and a dream. No investors. No private equity. Just a vision that women in her community deserved boutique fashion that made them feel something.
Thirty-five years later, Minnesota is still our home. Eighteen boutiques across the Twin Cities metro, the Duluth corridor, the lakes country, and southern Minnesota — all proving the same thing: this model works at every density profile, in every kind of community.
Now we're looking for the next Minnesota owner. Whether that's you in a market we don't yet serve, or you stepping into a transition opportunity in a market we already know — if you've ever felt that Minnesota deserves the kind of boutique experience that makes a woman feel seen, loved, and celebrated, we'd love to talk.
That’s the Minnesota opportunity. Below — the brand worth bringing to it.
Inside the Boutique
What you’ll find — and what you’ll get to build.
Curated by our founder, Marie. Chosen by you. Loved by the woman who walks in.
Who We Are
Built by a woman. For women. Owned by women.
Marie still buys for the brand. The franchise owners still run the stores. The customers still come back. None of it is by accident.
Built by a woman.
Marie DeNicola started Mainstream in 1991 from a basement in Minnesota. She still personally approves every new vendor today.
For women.
Real customers. Real bodies. Real budgets. The boutique a woman comes back to monthly — not once a season.
Operated in communities by women who know their customers by name.
Every Mainstream is owned by someone you can meet. She buys for her town. She greets her regulars. She remembers what fit.
All anchored in the community they serve.
The store IS the town. Trunk shows. Charity nights. Personal styling. The storefront operates Mainstream — not the other way around.
The Mainstream Moat
Why this brand was built to last.
The reach of a chain. The soul of an indie.
Founder-led. Founder still here.
Marie DeNicola still personally approves every new vendor. Same instincts that landed her on Oprah back in ’95, still running the buy today. Indie boutiques don’t have a career buyer on call. Chains don’t have the founder on the floor.
Inventory you can’t get anywhere else.
Mac and Me — the in-house Mainstream label — lives exclusively in our stores. Owned product, owned margin, owned story. Plus exclusive distribution rights on boutique brands earned over decades of partnership. Your shelves carry inventory the indie down the street simply cannot put on a hanger.
Curated, not chained.
Chains stock every store with the same SKU. Indies guess. Mainstream gives you the curated menu — and lets you choose what fits your town. You’re not Gap-uniform, you’re not flying blind, you’re a thoughtful boutique with HQ backing.
Owners helping owners.
You’re not alone. Mainstream owners share what sold in their spring window, what fell flat in fall, who their best customer just asked for. The network is part of the product.
Four words. One registered trademark. The reason a Mainstream customer becomes a Mainstream customer for life.
®
Marie's Minnesota Story
In 1991, in a basement in Minnesota, a woman named Marie DeNicola started Mainstream as a direct sales fashion company with $4,500 and a dream. The boutiques came years later. She wasn't building a chain. She wasn't planning a franchise system. She was responding to a quiet conviction that the women in her community deserved to be loved, not sold to.
Featured on Oprah. Recognized in Entrepreneur's Franchise 500. Awarded the FBR50 for franchisee satisfaction. Still owned and run by the family Marie raised in this business — her son Clay leads franchise development, her son Corey is CEO, her daughter Mac (Mikayla) lent her name to our exclusive Mac & Me clothing line and drew the heart logo stitched into every garment.
Thirty-five years later, this is still a Minnesota family business that grew up to serve women across the country.
Click to expand Marie's full story →
Marie grew up in the Finger Lakes town of Waterloo, New York — the youngest of four kids in a blue-collar, traditional Italian family. Her parents told her she could do anything she set her mind to, and that hard work would build a life worth living. "When I graduated from high school, attending college was not optional, it was a matter of which college I was going to," Marie laughs. "My parents set me on a path for future success."
At SUNY Geneseo, Marie studied management science and marketing. "I knew by my first marketing class that I wanted to be a buyer in fashion." After graduating in December 1983, she and her husband Nick moved to Los Angeles, where she spent six years as a buyer for Windsor Store. They later moved to Atlanta, where Marie became a buyer at the International Art Institute and was promoted to Director of Purchasing. "I chose passion from day one. Money has never been my motivator, it wasn't then and it isn't now. From a young age, I went with my passion, and it's why I am where I am today."
In 1991, Nick accepted a job in Minnesota — and the couple packed up again. "Since Nick was the primary breadwinner, I had to leave a job I loved once again. It was heart-wrenching, but it made clear to me that I had to start something on my own — so that when we moved I could expand the business rather than start over."
The idea was simple: bring the product to the woman. "At the time, I had a small child. The idea to start a direct sales clothing company came from a desire to look great, but not having the time to shop from store to store. I thought, 'wouldn't it be great if someone could come to me with fashionable clothes?'"
Mainstream Fashions launched in 1991 — unique, trendy clothing brought into the woman's home or office. "I didn't know anyone in the industry at the time; I just had a dream and a passion. I hosted my first show in my home and invited the neighbors. That's where it all started."
Business in the Twin Cities took off quickly. Before long, Marie was a featured guest on The Oprah Show as a successful entrepreneur. "After being on the show I got calls from women all over the world asking how they could do what I was doing. That's when I knew I had to expand nationally." A franchise consulting firm caught the segment and invited Marie to Chicago to talk franchising. She partnered with law firm Gray Plant Mooty, finalized vendor relationships, and Mainstream Fashions began franchising in 1998.
The brand has never been recapitalized. It's still owned and run by the family Marie raised in this business.
Minnesota's Home-Grown Boutique Franchise
Founded here in 1991. Still owned here. Still investing here.
Marie DeNicola founded Mainstream Boutique in a Minnesota basement in 1991 with $4,500 and a vision that the women in her community deserved boutique fashion that made them feel something. Thirty-five years later, our footprint reflects that vision — 17 stores across Minnesota, more locations in this state than any other women's apparel franchise system. Our HQ remains in Apple Valley. Our family is still in charge.
That kind of density isn't accidental. It's the result of a model that's been proven in metro suburbs (Apple Valley, Edina, Delano), regional hubs (Mankato, Willmar), tourism economies (Waconia, Hermantown), and small-town Minnesota (New Prague, Northfield). We don't have to imagine whether the model will work in your market — we've probably already proved it.
For first-time owners, that means mentorship from a team in your time zone, often in your zip code. For multi-unit operators, that means dense vendor relationships and operational playbooks tested across every kind of Minnesota community. For everyone, it means joining the boutique franchise with the deepest roots in this state — operationally, culturally, and physically.
We didn't come to Minnesota. We started here.
Mainstream Boutique in Minnesota Today
17 stores. Our densest state presence. Proof the model works in every Minnesota market we've entered.
Apple Valley (HQ)
15322 Galaxie Ave, Ste 115
Chanhassen
460 Lake Drive #140
Delano
116 River Street N
Edina
7523 France Ave S
Golden Valley
679 Winnetka Ave N
Hermantown
4960 Miller Trunk Hwy
Mankato
1901 Madison Ave, Ste 110
Mendota Heights
720 Main St, Ste 108
New Prague
803 1st St SE
Northfield
506 Division St S
Roseville
1641 County Road B2 W
Savage
14025 Highway 13 S
Stillwater
5805 Neal Ave N
Waconia
761 Marketplace Dr
White Bear Lake
4729 Hwy 61 N
Willmar
2211 1st St S
Woodbury
7774 Hargis Pkwy, Ste 108
Open Minnesota Markets
Strong fits where Mainstream Boutique doesn't yet exist. Tell us where you'd open — we'll tell you if it's a fit.
Maple Grove
Established Mainstream Boutique market with refranchise opportunity now available — proven demographic playbook in this fast-growing northwest metro suburb.
Eagan / Burnsville
Fast-growing south metro corridor. Adjacent to our Apple Valley + Mendota Heights stores.
Chaska
Southwest metro growth corridor. Adjacent to our Chanhassen store; complementary fit for a second metro footprint.
Forest Lake
North metro / I-35 corridor. Strong commuter shed with lakes-country crossover demographic.
Duluth
Lake Superior + tourism + university. Hermantown serves the metro; Duluth proper is open.
Rochester
3rd-largest Minnesota city. Mayo Clinic professional demographic.
Brainerd / Lakes
Lakes-country tourism economy. Resort-tourism overlap with our Waconia model.
St. Cloud
Central Minnesota regional hub. Strong commuter shed and college population.
Other Minnesota markets
Have a market in mind we haven't listed? Tell us — we'll evaluate together.
Hear From Minnesota Owners
In their own words — what it’s actually like to own a Mainstream Boutique in Minnesota.
Connie & Alaina Sauer
Golden Valley, Minnesota · Est. 2019
A mother-daughter duo who turned their shared love of fashion into a thriving business. Connie and Alaina's success in Golden Valley underscores the potential within every Mainstream Boutique franchise — and proves that this is a business families can build together.
Anne & Mike
Woodbury & Mendota Heights, Minnesota · Acquired 2026
“My dryer was broken, so I went to a laundromat in Stillwater. To kill time I walked into Mainstream Boutique to ‘just look at some clothes.’ I now call it the most expensive load of laundry ever. I never stopped being a customer. Then I worked at the Stillwater store. Now Mike and I own two Mainstream Boutique locations.”
Read more Minnesota owner stories at /pages/success-stories →
How It Works
From first call to franchise award.
Most candidates close the loop in four to eight weeks.
Introduce
A 30-minute Discovery call with Katie. We learn about you. You learn about Mainstream. No commitment, just conversation.
Qualify
Application, FDD review, financial qualification. We confirm the numbers work for you. You confirm the brand fits.
Validate
Direct calls with current Mainstream owners — no scripted reference checks. Visit a real store. See the model in motion.
Award
Final FranDev approval. Franchise agreement signed. Site selection support begins. You’re a Mainstream owner.
By the Numbers
What it takes to open a Mainstream Boutique in Minnesota.
Is This You?
The Mainstream owner profile we’re looking for in Minnesota.
Frequently Asked
Quick answers for Minnesota candidates.
What's the total investment?
$198K-$361K, including a $40,000 franchise fee. Most of the budget covers buildout, opening inventory, and working capital. Mainstream is SBA-friendly.
How long from signing to opening?
4-6 months typical. Site selection, lease negotiation, buildout, training, and merchandising are guided by our team end-to-end.
What about training and ongoing support?
Initial training at our Apple Valley flagship covers 22+ classroom hours plus 10+ on-the-job hours. After opening, every franchisee has a dedicated Franchise Coach.
Do I have to be a fashion expert?
No. Most of our owners weren't. Our training, merchandising support, and Mac & Me curated buying make it accessible to first-time retail owners.
Take the Next Step
Request information about Minnesota opportunities.
Tell us a bit about yourself. We'll send you the Franchise Disclosure Document and reach out for an introductory conversation.
Other Markets
Exploring other states?
Mainstream is actively growing in these markets too.
Let’s Talk About Minnesota
If you’ve made it this far, you’re curious. Let’s have a real conversation. No pressure. Just a 30-minute discovery call to see if there’s a fit — and if there is, what the next steps look like.
— Marie, Clay, Corey, Mac, and the Mainstream Boutique Family
