SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA · FY1991–PRESENT · NEW JERSEY
Cold Stone Creamery franchise in New Jersey: what the public record shows
Franchisees of Cold Stone Creamery in New Jersey have taken 47 SBA loans in the FY1991–present FOIA files (average $251,327). Those approved through FY2020 defaulted at a rate not clearly different from franchise loans made in the same years nationally: 6 charge-offs among 31 resolved loans, where about 7.6 would be expected (0.8×). Cold Stone Creamery's national ratio is 1.4×.
Loans in NJ
47
Charged off (all years)
6 of 31
Loss ratio in NJ (not clear)
0.8×
Loss ratio nationally
1.4×
Source: SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA files (data.sba.gov), borrower state = NJ. 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
18,596
statewide, all operators
Per 100k residents
195.7
national 179.9
Versus the country
+9%
denser
Every business in Cold Stone Creamery's industry operating in New Jersey — 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
$578
New Jersey, BLS QCEW 2025
National average
$537
same industry, all states
Versus the country
+8%
costlier to staff
What Cold Stone Creamery's industry actually pays workers in New Jersey, 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.
| System | Loans in NJ | Charged off (all years) | Loss ratio in NJ | Units in NJ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dunkin' | 242 | 5 of 168 | 0.2× | — |
| Subway | 188 | 25 of 146 | 0.9×NOT CLEAR | 140 |
| Quiznos | 107 | 20 of 79 | 1.1×NOT CLEAR | — |
| Rita'S Real Italian Water Ice | 62 | 4 of 53 | 0.3× | — |
| Domino's Pizza | 56 | 5 of 39 | 0.9×NOT CLEAR | — |
| Burger King | 55 | 0 of 26 | — | — |
| Saladworks | 42 | 13 of 36 | 1.8× | — |
| Blimpie | 35 | 5 of 28 | — | — |
| Manhattan Bagel | 32 | 3 of 28 | — | — |
| Papa Johns | 30 | 7 of 22 | — | — |
| DAIRY QUEEN | 28 | 3 of 20 | — | — |
| EDIBLE ARRANGEMENTS | 26 | 3 of 21 | — | 43 |
Other systems in Cold Stone Creamery's sector whose franchisees borrowed in New Jersey. 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 Cold Stone Creamery’s numbers, including talking you out of a bad deal.