SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA · FY1991–PRESENT · WASHINGTON
DAIRY QUEEN franchise in Washington: what the public record shows
Franchisees of DAIRY QUEEN in Washington have taken 113 SBA loans in the FY1991–present FOIA files (average $390,966). Those approved through FY2020 defaulted less often than franchise loans made in the same years nationally: 6 charge-offs among 84 resolved loans, where about 13 would be expected (0.5×). DAIRY QUEEN's national ratio is 0.6×.
Loans in WA
113
Charged off (all years)
6 of 85
Loss ratio in WA
0.5×
Loss ratio nationally
0.6×
Source: SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA files (data.sba.gov), borrower state = WA. 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
14,972
statewide, all operators
Per 100k residents
188.1
national 179.9
Versus the country
+5%
denser
Every business in DAIRY QUEEN's industry operating in Washington — 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
$644
Washington, BLS QCEW 2025
National average
$537
same industry, all states
Versus the country
+20%
costlier to staff
What DAIRY QUEEN's industry actually pays workers in Washington, 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 WA | Charged off (all years) | Loss ratio in WA | Units in WA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Subway | 318 | 13 of 277 | 0.3× | 438 |
| Quiznos | 105 | 18 of 88 | 0.9×NOT CLEAR | — |
| Baskin-Robbins | 48 | 2 of 38 | 0.3×NOT CLEAR | — |
| JERSEY MIKE'S | 42 | 0 of 38 | 0× | 61 |
| Cold Stone Creamery | 34 | 3 of 28 | — | — |
| Papa Murphy'S | 32 | 0 of 25 | — | — |
| Taco Del Mar | 30 | 8 of 27 | — | — |
| Domino's Pizza | 28 | 1 of 21 | — | — |
| Jimmy John's | 27 | 0 of 20 | — | — |
| Blimpie | 20 | 3 of 17 | — | — |
| Dutch Bros. Coffee | 17 | 0 of 11 | — | — |
| DENNY'S | 16 | 1 of 10 | — | 40 |
Other systems in DAIRY QUEEN's sector whose franchisees borrowed in Washington. 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 DAIRY QUEEN’s numbers, including talking you out of a bad deal.