SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA · FY1991–PRESENT · OHIO
Cold Stone Creamery franchise in Ohio: what the public record shows
Franchisees of Cold Stone Creamery in Ohio have taken 58 SBA loans in the FY1991–present FOIA files (average $198,044). Those approved through FY2020 defaulted at a rate not clearly different from franchise loans made in the same years nationally: 7 charge-offs among 38 resolved loans, where about 7.3 would be expected (1.0×). Cold Stone Creamery's national ratio is 1.4×.
Loans in OH
58
Charged off (all years)
7 of 41
Loss ratio in OH (not clear)
1.0×
Loss ratio nationally
1.4×
Source: SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA files (data.sba.gov), borrower state = OH. 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
20,528
statewide, all operators
Per 100k residents
172.7
national 179.9
Versus the country
-4%
thinner
Every business in Cold Stone Creamery's industry operating in Ohio — 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
$443
Ohio, BLS QCEW 2025
National average
$537
same industry, all states
Versus the country
-18%
cheaper to staff
What Cold Stone Creamery's industry actually pays workers in Ohio, 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 OH | Charged off (all years) | Loss ratio in OH | Units in OH |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Subway | 353 | 8 of 260 | 0.2× | 865 |
| DAIRY QUEEN | 156 | 9 of 109 | 0.5× | — |
| Quiznos | 99 | 23 of 92 | 1.1×NOT CLEAR | — |
| Domino's Pizza | 75 | 5 of 61 | 0.5×NOT CLEAR | — |
| Jimmy John's | 73 | 5 of 52 | 1.0×NOT CLEAR | — |
| East of Chicago Pizza | 70 | 10 of 52 | 1.0×NOT CLEAR | — |
| Biggby Coffee | 53 | 0 of 23 | — | — |
| JERSEY MIKE'S | 49 | 0 of 37 | 0× | 129 |
| Dunkin' | 47 | 7 of 34 | 1.3×NOT CLEAR | — |
| Little Caesars | 42 | 2 of 28 | — | — |
| Mr. Hero Sandwich Shop | 38 | 1 of 34 | 0.2× | — |
| Zeppe'S | 37 | 1 of 32 | 0.2× | — |
Other systems in Cold Stone Creamery's sector whose franchisees borrowed in Ohio. 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.