FRANCHISE·WATCH·DESK

SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA · FY1991–PRESENT · INDIANA

Bw-3 (Buffalo Wings and Weck) franchise in Indiana: what the public record shows

Franchisees of Bw-3 (Buffalo Wings and Weck) in Indiana have taken 6 SBA loans in the FY1991–present FOIA files (average $424,500). Fewer than 30 of them were approved through FY2020 and have resolved, so no local loss ratio is published. Bw-3 (Buffalo Wings and Weck)'s national ratio is 0.8× (not clearly different from 1.0×).

SBA loan outcomes · Indianavs same-year franchise loans

Loans in IN

6

Charged off (all years)

1 of 5

Loss ratio in IN

—

Loss ratio nationally (not clear)

0.8×

Source: SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA files (data.sba.gov), borrower state = IN. 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.

Market density · Indiana vs nationalTypical density

Businesses in this industry

11,431

statewide, all operators

Per 100k residents

165.1

national 179.9

Versus the country

-8%

thinner

Every business in Bw-3 (Buffalo Wings and Weck)'s industry operating in Indiana — 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.

Labor cost · Indiana vs nationalBelow-average wages

Avg weekly wage, this industry

$436

Indiana, BLS QCEW 2025

National average

$537

same industry, all states

Versus the country

-19%

cheaper to staff

What Bw-3 (Buffalo Wings and Weck)'s industry actually pays workers in Indiana, 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.

Same-sector systems with SBA loan history in Indiana12 systems
SystemLoans in INCharged off (all years)Loss ratio in INUnits in IN
Subway2386 of 1910.2×535
DAIRY QUEEN1422 of 1040.1×—
Jimmy John's510 of 380×—
Culver's493 of 320.6×NOT CLEAR—
WINGS ETC.452 of 300.4×NOT CLEAR23
Quiznos415 of 350.7×NOT CLEAR—
Biggby Coffee380 of 12——
Little Caesars371 of 28——
Ritter'S Frozen Custard367 of 26——
Blimpie3212 of 27——
Domino's Pizza301 of 22——
Smoothie King240 of 17——

Other systems in Bw-3 (Buffalo Wings and Weck)'s sector whose franchisees borrowed in Indiana. A loss ratio appears only where at least 30 loans approved through FY2020 have resolved; “—” means too few.

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