SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA · FY1991–PRESENT · ALABAMA
Fleet Feet franchise in Alabama: what the public record shows
Franchisees of Fleet Feet in Alabama have taken 7 SBA loans in the FY1991–present FOIA files (average $114,171). Fewer than 30 of them were approved through FY2020 and have resolved, so no local loss ratio is published. Fleet Feet's national ratio is 0.6× (not clearly different from 1.0×). Its latest FDD Item 20 state table reports 3 franchised outlets in Alabama (fiscal 2020) — about 0.06 per 100k residents.
Loans in AL
7
Charged off (all years)
0 of 5
Loss ratio in AL
—
Loss ratio nationally (not clear)
0.6×
Source: SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA files (data.sba.gov), borrower state = AL. 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.
| Fiscal year | Franchised | Company-owned |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 4 | — |
| 2019 | 3 | — |
| 2020 | 3 | — |
| System | Loans in AL | Charged off (all years) | Loss ratio in AL | Units in AL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ace Hardware | 17 | 1 of 11 | — | — |
| Piggly Wiggly | 13 | 2 of 10 | — | — |
| Cartridge World | 8 | 2 of 4 | — | — |
| Naturals2Go | 7 | 0 of 1 | — | — |
| HobbyTown | 5 | 0 of 3 | — | — |
| Sears Catalog Store | 5 | 1 of 5 | — | — |
Other systems in Fleet Feet's sector whose franchisees borrowed in Alabama. 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 Fleet Feet’s numbers, including talking you out of a bad deal.