SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA · FY1991–PRESENT · MASSACHUSETTS
Ben & Jerry'S Ice Cream franchise in Massachusetts: what the public record shows
Franchisees of Ben & Jerry'S Ice Cream in Massachusetts have taken 19 SBA loans since 1991 (average $201,961), and of the 16 loans whose story has ended, 6.3% were charged off — versus 8.6% for Ben & Jerry'S Ice Cream nationally and 14.8% across all rateable franchise brands.
Loans in MA
19
Resolved
16
Local charge-off
6.3%
National charge-off
8.6%
Source: SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA files (data.sba.gov), borrower state = MA. Charge-off rate = charged-off ÷ (charged-off + paid-in-full); open loans excluded. A local rate is published only when the resolved cohort clears our floor.
Businesses in this industry
14,561
statewide, all operators
Per 100k residents
204
national 179.9
Versus the country
+13%
denser
Every business in Ben & Jerry'S Ice Cream's industry operating in Massachusetts — franchised and independent — from the Census Bureau's County Business Patterns (2023), against 2024 population estimates. Counter-intuitively, density is not a warning: across 198 brand-state cells in our loan data, the densest quartile charges off at 5.6% versus 18.1% in the thinnest. A crowded market is usually proven demand; an empty one is often empty for a reason.
| System | Loans in MA | Local charge-off | Units in MA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Honey Dew Donuts | 63 | 13.0% | — |
| Domino's Pizza | 52 | 8.6% | — |
| Quiznos | 44 | 31.4% | — |
| Dunkin Donuts/Baskin-Robbins Co-Brand | 36 | 0.0% | — |
| Tropical Smoothie Cafe | 17 | thin | 30 |
| Crumbl Cookies | 12 | thin | — |
| Jersey Mike's Subs | 11 | thin | — |
| Orange Leaf Frozen Yogurt | 10 | 40.0% | — |
| Cold Stone Creamery | 9 | thin | — |
| Boston Market | 7 | thin | — |
| Carvel Ice Cream | 6 | thin | — |
| Moe'S Sw Grill | 6 | thin | — |
Same sector, same state, same public records — how Ben & Jerry'S Ice Cream compares to the systems a buyer in Massachusetts would actually be choosing between. Local rates under 10 resolved loans are marked thin, not hidden.
A broker is paid by the franchisor to place you. An independent CPA is paid by you — and the job is pressure-testing Ben & Jerry'S Ice Cream's numbers, including talking you out of a bad deal.
Talk to an independent CPA before you buy →