SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA · FY1991–PRESENT · UTAH
BIG O TIRES franchise in Utah: what the public record shows
Franchisees of BIG O TIRES in Utah have taken 58 SBA loans in the FY1991–present FOIA files (average $784,053). Those approved through FY2020 defaulted less often than franchise loans made in the same years nationally: 1 charge-offs among 34 resolved loans, where about 5.3 would be expected (0.2×). BIG O TIRES's national ratio is 0.8× (not clearly different from 1.0×). Its latest FDD Item 20 state table reports 52 franchised outlets in Utah (fiscal 2026) — about 1.48 per 100k residents.
Loans in UT
58
Charged off (all years)
1 of 38
Loss ratio in UT
0.2×
Loss ratio nationally (not clear)
0.8×
Source: SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA files (data.sba.gov), borrower state = UT. 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
1,130
statewide, all operators
Per 100k residents
32.3
national 30.2
Versus the country
+7%
denser
Every business in BIG O TIRES's industry operating in Utah — 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
$875
Utah, BLS QCEW 2025
National average
$1,002
same industry, all states
Versus the country
-13%
cheaper to staff
What BIG O TIRES's industry actually pays workers in Utah, 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 | 50 | — |
| 2025 | 50 | — |
| 2026 | 52 | — |
| System | Loans in UT | Charged off (all years) | Loss ratio in UT | Units in UT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grease Monkey | 17 | 0 of 11 | — | — |
| Aamco Transmissions | 12 | 0 of 9 | — | — |
| Chevron (Gas Station) | 11 | 2 of 11 | — | — |
| Matco Tools | 10 | 5 of 8 | — | — |
| Napa Auto Parts | 8 | 0 of 4 | — | — |
| Maaco | 7 | 0 of 6 | — | — |
| JIFFY LUBE | 5 | 0 of 5 | — | 79 |
| Meineke | 5 | 0 of 3 | — | — |
| Phillips 66 | 5 | 2 of 5 | — | — |
| Tire Pros | 5 | 0 of 2 | — | 17 |
Other systems in BIG O TIRES's sector whose franchisees borrowed in Utah. 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.