SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA · FY1991–PRESENT · WASHINGTON
BIG O TIRES franchise in Washington: what the public record shows
Franchisees of BIG O TIRES in Washington have taken 14 SBA loans in the FY1991–present FOIA files (average $378,900). Fewer than 30 of them were approved through FY2020 and have resolved, so no local loss ratio is published. BIG O TIRES's national ratio is 0.8× (not clearly different from 1.0×). Its latest FDD Item 20 state table reports 7 franchised outlets in Washington (fiscal 2026) — about 0.09 per 100k residents.
Loans in WA
14
Charged off (all years)
0 of 6
Loss ratio in WA
—
Loss ratio nationally (not clear)
0.8×
Source: SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA files (data.sba.gov), borrower state = WA. 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
2,152
statewide, all operators
Per 100k residents
27
national 30.2
Versus the country
-11%
thinner
Every business in BIG O TIRES's industry operating in Washington — 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
$1,184
Washington, BLS QCEW 2025
National average
$1,002
same industry, all states
Versus the country
+18%
costlier to staff
What BIG O TIRES's industry actually pays workers in Washington, 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 | 7 | — |
| 2025 | 7 | — |
| 2026 | 7 | — |
| System | Loans in WA | Charged off (all years) | Loss ratio in WA | Units in WA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chevron (Gas Station) | 65 | 2 of 47 | 0.3× | — |
| Chevron - Retail Supply Contract | 37 | 0 of 10 | — | — |
| Shell Service Station | 32 | 1 of 21 | — | — |
| Phillips 66 | 30 | 0 of 11 | — | — |
| Arco (Gas Station) | 25 | 0 of 16 | — | — |
| Texaco Service Station | 23 | 1 of 16 | — | — |
| Grease Monkey | 18 | 1 of 11 | — | — |
| Union 76 Oil | 16 | 1 of 13 | — | — |
| Aamco Transmissions | 14 | 3 of 11 | — | — |
| Conoco Service Station | 13 | 1 of 10 | — | — |
| Maaco | 12 | 0 of 7 | — | — |
| LINE-X | 11 | 1 of 9 | — | 3 |
Other systems in BIG O TIRES's sector whose franchisees borrowed in Washington. 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.