SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA · FY1991–PRESENT · ARIZONA
BIG O TIRES franchise in Arizona: what the public record shows
Franchisees of BIG O TIRES in Arizona have taken 76 SBA loans in the FY1991–present FOIA files (average $647,146). Those approved through FY2020 defaulted at a rate not clearly different from franchise loans made in the same years nationally: 7 charge-offs among 54 resolved loans, where about 10 would be expected (0.7×). BIG O TIRES's national ratio is 0.8× (not clearly different from 1.0×). Its latest FDD Item 20 state table reports 74 franchised outlets in Arizona (fiscal 2026) — about 0.98 per 100k residents.
Loans in AZ
76
Charged off (all years)
7 of 57
Loss ratio in AZ (not clear)
0.7×
Loss ratio nationally (not clear)
0.8×
Source: SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA files (data.sba.gov), borrower state = AZ. Loss ratio = charge-offs among loans approved through FY2020 ÷ the charge-offs expected if each had defaulted at the national rate for franchise loans approved the same year; 1.0× is the same. Only charged-off and paid-in-full loans count. A ratio is shown at 30+ such loans; “not clear” marks a ratio chance alone could produce. The all-years count mixes every era and is evidence, not a rate to compare. Borrowers are matched to the brand by name and SBA franchise code; some matches may be wrong or missing.
Businesses in this industry
2,078
statewide, all operators
Per 100k residents
27.4
national 30.2
Versus the country
-9%
thinner
Every business in BIG O TIRES's industry operating in Arizona — franchised and independent — from the Census Bureau's County Business Patterns (2023), against 2024 population estimates. Counter-intuitively, density is not a warning: across the brand-state cells in the loan data, denser markets have historically charged off less often than the thinnest (see the research page). A crowded market is usually proven demand; an empty one is often empty for a reason.
Avg weekly wage, this industry
$1,069
Arizona, BLS QCEW 2025
National average
$1,002
same industry, all states
Versus the country
+7%
costlier to staff
What BIG O TIRES's industry actually pays workers in Arizona, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (2025), employment-weighted across counties. This cost signal is independent of the FDD: a market can look demand-rich above and still carry a margin headwind here if local wages run hot for the sector.
| Fiscal year | Franchised | Company-owned |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 66 | — |
| 2025 | 67 | — |
| 2026 | 74 | — |
| System | Loans in AZ | Charged off (all years) | Loss ratio in AZ | Units in AZ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chevron (Gas Station) | 27 | 4 of 18 | — | — |
| Maaco | 27 | 0 of 13 | — | — |
| Matco Tools | 21 | 7 of 20 | — | — |
| Christian Brothers Automotive | 13 | 0 of 4 | — | — |
| Cottman Transmission | 13 | 5 of 13 | — | — |
| Meineke | 13 | 0 of 10 | — | — |
| Arco (Gas Station) | 10 | 2 of 9 | — | — |
| Grease Monkey | 10 | 0 of 5 | — | — |
| Aamco Transmissions | 9 | 0 of 8 | — | — |
| Texaco Service Station | 9 | 2 of 8 | — | — |
| Shell Service Station | 8 | 1 of 5 | — | — |
| Econo Lub N Tune | 7 | 1 of 7 | — | — |
Other systems in BIG O TIRES's sector whose franchisees borrowed in Arizona. A loss ratio appears only where at least 30 loans approved through FY2020 have resolved; “—” means too few.
A broker is usually paid by the franchisor to place you. I'm paid only by you, never by a franchisor you're considering — and the job is pressure-testing BIG O TIRES’ numbers, including talking you out of a bad deal.