FRANCHISE·WATCH·DESK

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

Little Caesars franchise in Kentucky: what the public record shows

Franchisees of Little Caesars in Kentucky have taken 18 SBA loans in the FY1991–present FOIA files (average $375,250). Fewer than 30 of them were approved through FY2020 and have resolved, so no local loss ratio is published. Little Caesars's national ratio is 0.5×.

SBA loan outcomes · Kentuckyvs same-year franchise loans

Loans in KY

18

Charged off (all years)

0 of 14

Loss ratio in KY

—

Loss ratio nationally

0.5×

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

Market density · Kentucky vs nationalThin market

Businesses in this industry

6,831

statewide, all operators

Per 100k residents

148.9

national 179.9

Versus the country

-17%

thinner

Every business in Little Caesars's industry operating in Kentucky — franchised and independent — from the Census Bureau's County Business Patterns (2023), against 2024 population estimates. Counter-intuitively, density is not a warning: across the brand-state cells in the loan data, denser markets have historically charged off less often than the thinnest (see the research page). A crowded market is usually proven demand; an empty one is often empty for a reason.

Labor cost · Kentucky vs nationalBelow-average wages

Avg weekly wage, this industry

$452

Kentucky, BLS QCEW 2025

National average

$537

same industry, all states

Versus the country

-16%

cheaper to staff

What Little Caesars's industry actually pays workers in Kentucky, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (2025), employment-weighted across counties. This cost signal is independent of the FDD: a market can look demand-rich above and still carry a margin headwind here if local wages run hot for the sector.

Same-sector systems with SBA loan history in Kentucky12 systems
SystemLoans in KYCharged off (all years)Loss ratio in KYUnits in KY
Subway1458 of 1200.4×343
DAIRY QUEEN272 of 20——
Quiznos2511 of 21——
Firehouse Subs180 of 9—16
Jimmy John's170 of 8——
Biggby Coffee150 of 4——
Mellow Mushroom144 of 9——
Zaxby's140 of 10——
Culver's130 of 9——
HUDDLE HOUSE131 of 13——
Papa Johns110 of 9——
Buffalo Wings & Rings105 of 7——

Other systems in Little Caesars's sector whose franchisees borrowed in Kentucky. A loss ratio appears only where at least 30 loans approved through FY2020 have resolved; “—” means too few.

Before you sign anythingfree · 30 min · no commission

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 Little Caesars’ numbers, including talking you out of a bad deal.

Don Drummond, CPA — Virginia #43775 · what I charge

Book a free 30-minute call →