SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA · FY1991–PRESENT · ILLINOIS
BRICKS AND MINFIGS franchise in Illinois: what the public record shows
Franchisees of BRICKS AND MINFIGS in Illinois have taken 8 SBA loans in the FY1991–present FOIA files (average $147,462). Fewer than 30 of them were approved through FY2020 and have resolved, so no local loss ratio is published. BRICKS AND MINFIGS has too few seasoned resolved loans nationally for a national ratio. Its latest FDD Item 20 state table reports 7 franchised outlets in Illinois (fiscal 2025) — about 0.06 per 100k residents.
Loans in IL
8
Charged off (all years)
—
Loss ratio in IL
—
Loss ratio nationally
—
Source: SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA files (data.sba.gov), borrower state = IL. 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.
| Fiscal year | Franchised | Company-owned |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 3 | — |
| 2024 | 5 | — |
| 2025 | 7 | — |
| System | Loans in IL | Charged off (all years) | Loss ratio in IL | Units in IL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ace Hardware | 42 | 2 of 20 | — | — |
| True Value Hardware | 29 | 4 of 24 | — | — |
| Play It Again Sports | 18 | 1 of 12 | — | — |
| Naturals2Go | 9 | 0 of 2 | — | — |
| General Nutrition Center | 8 | 2 of 5 | — | — |
| Golf U.S.a. (Retail Golf Equip.) | 8 | 5 of 7 | — | — |
| HobbyTown | 8 | 0 of 6 | — | — |
| Plato'S Closet | 8 | 0 of 7 | — | — |
| CANDY CLOUD | 7 | — | — | 4 |
| Cartridge World | 7 | 1 of 6 | — | — |
| Fastframe | 7 | 1 of 7 | — | — |
| FLOWERAMA | 7 | 2 of 6 | — | — |
Other systems in BRICKS AND MINFIGS's sector whose franchisees borrowed in Illinois. 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 BRICKS AND MINFIGS’ numbers, including talking you out of a bad deal.