SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA · FY1991–PRESENT · NORTH CAROLINA
Fleet Feet franchise in North Carolina: what the public record shows
Franchisees of Fleet Feet in North Carolina have taken 7 SBA loans in the FY1991–present FOIA files (average $312,985). 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 10 franchised outlets in North Carolina (fiscal 2020) — about 0.09 per 100k residents.
Loans in NC
7
Charged off (all years)
0 of 7
Loss ratio in NC
—
Loss ratio nationally (not clear)
0.6×
Source: SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA files (data.sba.gov), borrower state = NC. 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 | 10 | 4 |
| 2019 | 10 | 4 |
| 2020 | 10 | 5 |
| System | Loans in NC | Charged off (all years) | Loss ratio in NC | Units in NC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ace Hardware | 30 | 2 of 20 | — | — |
| Naturals2Go | 17 | 0 of 3 | — | — |
| Plato'S Closet | 12 | 1 of 7 | — | — |
| Once Upon a Child | 11 | 0 of 4 | — | — |
| Play It Again Sports | 11 | 0 of 9 | — | — |
| BRICKS AND MINFIGS | 10 | — | — | 9 |
| Piggly Wiggly | 9 | 1 of 6 | — | — |
| Cartridge World | 8 | 3 of 8 | — | — |
| Batteries Plus | 7 | 1 of 4 | — | — |
| WILD BIRDS UNLIMITED | 7 | 0 of 3 | — | 23 |
| Golf Etc. | 6 | 5 of 6 | — | — |
| Sears Catalog Store | 6 | 1 of 5 | — | — |
Other systems in Fleet Feet's sector whose franchisees borrowed in North Carolina. 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.