FRANCHISE·WATCH·DESK

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

D-Bat franchise in Wisconsin: what the public record shows

Franchisees of D-Bat in Wisconsin have taken 6 SBA loans in the FY1991–present FOIA files (average $452,700). Fewer than 30 of them were approved through FY2020 and have resolved, so no local loss ratio is published. D-Bat has too few seasoned resolved loans nationally for a national ratio. Its latest FDD Item 20 state table reports 3 franchised outlets in Wisconsin (fiscal 2025) — about 0.05 per 100k residents.

SBA loan outcomes · Wisconsinvs same-year franchise loans

Loans in WI

6

Charged off (all years)

—

Loss ratio in WI

—

Loss ratio nationally

—

Source: SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA files (data.sba.gov), borrower state = WI. 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 · Wisconsin vs nationalTypical density

Businesses in this industry

811

statewide, all operators

Per 100k residents

13.6

national 11.9

Versus the country

+14%

denser

Every business in D-Bat's industry operating in Wisconsin — 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 · Wisconsin vs nationalBelow-average wages

Avg weekly wage, this industry

$312

Wisconsin, BLS QCEW 2025

National average

$438

same industry, all states

Versus the country

-29%

cheaper to staff

What D-Bat's industry actually pays workers in Wisconsin, 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.

Franchised outlets in Wisconsin · FDD Item 20+1 over the disclosed window
Fiscal yearFranchisedCompany-owned
20232—
20242—
20253—
Same-sector systems with SBA loan history in Wisconsin7 systems
SystemLoans in WICharged off (all years)Loss ratio in WIUnits in WI
ANYTIME FITNESS666 of 531.0×NOT CLEAR—
Snap Fitness365 of 27—28
Curves for Women200 of 19——
Club Pilates80 of 4——
HOTWORX71 of 3—7
Burn Boot Camp Fitness60 of 3——
Orangetheory50 of 2——

Other systems in D-Bat's sector whose franchisees borrowed in Wisconsin. A loss ratio appears only where at least 30 loans approved through FY2020 have resolved; “—” means too few.

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