SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA · FY1991–PRESENT · TENNESSEE
Culver's franchise in Tennessee: what the public record shows
Franchisees of Culver's in Tennessee have taken 20 SBA loans since 1991 (average $1,245,340), and of the 13 loans whose story has ended, 0.0% were charged off — versus 2.2% for Culver's nationally and 14.8% across all rateable franchise brands.
Loans in TN
20
Resolved
13
Local charge-off
0.0%
National charge-off
2.2%
Source: SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA files (data.sba.gov), borrower state = TN. 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
12,160
statewide, all operators
Per 100k residents
168.2
national 179.9
Versus the country
-7%
thinner
Every business in Culver's's industry operating in Tennessee — 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 TN | Local charge-off | Units in TN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zaxby's | 38 | 6.9% | — |
| SCOOTER'S COFFEE | 20 | thin | 24 |
| Marco's Pizza | 19 | 0.0% | — |
| Schlotzsky'S Sandwich Shop | 19 | 38.9% | — |
| Cicis Pizza | 18 | 35.3% | — |
| Quiznos | 18 | 35.7% | — |
| Baskin-Robbins 31 Ice Cream | 16 | 16.7% | — |
| Jimmy John's | 16 | 20.0% | — |
| Smoothie King (Health Food Store) | 16 | 30.0% | — |
| Domino's Pizza | 15 | 7.7% | — |
| Dunkin Donuts/Baskin-Robbins Co-Brand | 13 | thin | — |
| Blimpie | 12 | thin | — |
Same sector, same state, same public records — how Culver's compares to the systems a buyer in Tennessee 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 Culver's's numbers, including talking you out of a bad deal.
Talk to an independent CPA before you buy →