SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA · FY1991–PRESENT · ALABAMA
Firehouse Subs franchise in Alabama: what the public record shows
Franchisees of Firehouse Subs in Alabama have taken 10 SBA loans since 1991 (average $292,940)— too few resolved loans in-state to publish a local failure rate (we require a resolved cohort, never extrapolate), so the brand's national rate of 11.1% is the better guide. Its latest FDD Item 20 state table reports 36 franchised outlets in Alabama (fiscal 2017) — about 0.7 per 100k residents.
Loans in AL
10
Resolved
4
Local charge-off
thin
National charge-off
11.1%
Source: SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA files (data.sba.gov), borrower state = AL. 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 of 30 loans.
| Fiscal year | Franchised | Company-owned |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 37 | — |
| 2016 | 37 | — |
| 2017 | 36 | — |
| System | Loans in AL | Local charge-off | Units in AL |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subway | 68 | 7.1% | 379 |
| DAIRY QUEEN | 36 | 23.1% | — |
| Matco Tools | 13 | 50.0% | — |
| BEEF O' BRADY'S FAMILY SPORTS PUBS | 9 | thin | 10 |
| HOTWORX | 9 | thin | 16 |
| Steak-Out | 8 | thin | — |
| Bin There Dump That | 7 | thin | — |
| D-Bat | 7 | thin | 7 |
| Sport Clips | 6 | thin | 26 |
| Pink Zebra Moving | 5 | thin | 3 |
| Rainbow Restoration | 5 | thin | — |
| Sears Catalog Store | 5 | thin | — |
Same sector, same state, same public records — how Firehouse Subs compares to the systems a buyer in Alabama 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 Firehouse Subs's numbers, including talking you out of a bad deal.
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