SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA · FY1991–PRESENT · CALIFORNIA
Fleet Feet franchise in California: what the public record shows
Franchisees of Fleet Feet in California have taken 15 SBA loans in the FY1991–present FOIA files (average $245,733). 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 16 franchised outlets in California (fiscal 2020) — about 0.04 per 100k residents.
Loans in CA
15
Charged off (all years)
1 of 8
Loss ratio in CA
—
Loss ratio nationally (not clear)
0.6×
Source: SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA files (data.sba.gov), borrower state = CA. 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 | 15 | 8 |
| 2019 | 15 | 8 |
| 2020 | 16 | 7 |
| System | Loans in CA | Charged off (all years) | Loss ratio in CA | Units in CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ace Hardware | 121 | 11 of 69 | 1.1×NOT CLEAR | — |
| Naturals2Go | 26 | 0 of 4 | — | — |
| Play It Again Sports | 25 | 1 of 21 | — | — |
| True Value Hardware | 25 | 4 of 22 | — | — |
| General Nutrition Center | 21 | 3 of 18 | — | — |
| WaterStation | 20 | 1 of 13 | — | — |
| Fastframe | 19 | 3 of 15 | — | — |
| Batteries Plus | 18 | 1 of 13 | — | — |
| Cartridge World | 12 | 7 of 12 | — | — |
| Golf Etc. | 11 | 3 of 7 | — | — |
| Max Muscle | 11 | 5 of 10 | — | — |
| Once Upon a Child | 11 | 0 of 6 | — | — |
Other systems in Fleet Feet's sector whose franchisees borrowed in California. 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.