FRANCHISE·WATCH·DESK

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

European Wax Centers-Galleria franchise in Illinois: what the public record shows

Franchisees of European Wax Centers-Galleria in Illinois have taken 13 SBA loans since 1991 (average $534,438), and of the 10 loans whose story has ended, 0.0% were charged off — versus 2.3% for European Wax Centers-Galleria nationally and 14.8% across all rateable franchise brands.

SBA loan outcomes · Illinoisvs national

Loans in IL

13

Resolved

10

Local charge-off

0.0%

National charge-off

2.3%

Source: SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA files (data.sba.gov), borrower state = IL. 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.

Market density · Illinois vs nationalTypical density

Businesses in this industry

3,593

statewide, all operators

Per 100k residents

28.3

national 26.6

Versus the country

+6%

denser

Every business in European Wax Centers-Galleria's industry operating in Illinois — 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.

Same-sector systems with SBA loan history in Illinois10 systems
SystemLoans in ILLocal charge-offUnits in IL
Fantastic Sams2630.4%
GREAT CLIPS250.0%
SUPERCUTS140.0%28
Executive Tans1280.0%
Amazing Lash Studio8thin7
WAXING THE CITY7thin
Hand and Stone Massage and Facial Spa6thin
THE NOW6thin
MassageLuXe Spa5thin5
Planet Beach5thin

Same sector, same state, same public records — how European Wax Centers-Galleria compares to the systems a buyer in Illinois would actually be choosing between. Local rates under 10 resolved loans are marked thin, not hidden.

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