SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA · FY1991–PRESENT · SOUTH CAROLINA
Cold Stone Creamery franchise in South Carolina: what the public record shows
Franchisees of Cold Stone Creamery in South Carolina have taken 15 SBA loans since 1991 (average $380,680), and of the 10 loans whose story has ended, 40.0% were charged off — versus 30.7% for Cold Stone Creamery nationally and 14.8% across all rateable franchise brands.
Loans in SC
15
Resolved
10
Local charge-off
40.0%
National charge-off
30.7%
Source: SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA files (data.sba.gov), borrower state = SC. Charge-off rate = charged-off ÷ (charged-off + paid-in-full); open loans excluded. A local rate is published only when the resolved cohort clears our floor.
Businesses in this industry
9,612
statewide, all operators
Per 100k residents
175.4
national 179.9
Versus the country
-3%
thinner
Every business in Cold Stone Creamery's industry operating in South Carolina — franchised and independent — from the Census Bureau's County Business Patterns (2023), against 2024 population estimates. Counter-intuitively, density is not a warning: across 198 brand-state cells in our loan data, the densest quartile charges off at 5.6% versus 18.1% in the thinnest. A crowded market is usually proven demand; an empty one is often empty for a reason.
| System | Loans in SC | Local charge-off | Units in SC |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bruster'S | 24 | 7.1% | — |
| Zaxby's | 24 | 0.0% | — |
| Tropical Smoothie Cafe | 21 | 7.1% | 47 |
| Quiznos | 18 | 35.7% | — |
| Atlanta Bread | 17 | 25.0% | — |
| Domino's Pizza | 16 | 0.0% | — |
| Mellow Mushroom | 14 | 8.3% | — |
| Schlotzsky'S Sandwich Shop | 14 | thin | — |
| Cicis Pizza | 13 | 15.4% | — |
| Blimpie | 10 | thin | — |
| Culver's | 10 | thin | — |
| BONJANGLES EXPRESS | 9 | thin | — |
Same sector, same state, same public records — how Cold Stone Creamery compares to the systems a buyer in South Carolina would actually be choosing between. Local rates under 10 resolved loans are marked thin, not hidden.
A broker is paid by the franchisor to place you. An independent CPA is paid by you — and the job is pressure-testing Cold Stone Creamery's numbers, including talking you out of a bad deal.
Talk to an independent CPA before you buy →