FRANCHISE·WATCH·DESK

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

MASSAGE ENVY franchise in Washington: what the public record shows

Franchisees of MASSAGE ENVY in Washington have taken 26 SBA loans in the FY1991–present FOIA files (average $454,392). Fewer than 30 of them were approved through FY2020 and have resolved, so no local loss ratio is published. MASSAGE ENVY's national ratio is 0.5×. Its latest FDD Item 20 state table reports 18 franchised outlets in Washington (fiscal 2025) — about 0.23 per 100k residents.

SBA loan outcomes · Washingtonvs same-year franchise loans

Loans in WA

26

Charged off (all years)

5 of 22

Loss ratio in WA

—

Loss ratio nationally

0.5×

Source: SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA files (data.sba.gov), borrower state = WA. 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 · Washington vs nationalThin market

Businesses in this industry

416

statewide, all operators

Per 100k residents

5.2

national 11.6

Versus the country

-55%

thinner

Every business in MASSAGE ENVY's industry operating in Washington — 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 · Washington vs nationalHigh wage pressure

Avg weekly wage, this industry

$1,062

Washington, BLS QCEW 2025

National average

$806

same industry, all states

Versus the country

+32%

costlier to staff

What MASSAGE ENVY's industry actually pays workers in Washington, 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.

Franchised outlets in Washington · FDD Item 20-2 over the disclosed window
Fiscal yearFranchisedCompany-owned
2023200
2024190
2025180
Same-sector systems with SBA loan history in Washington1 systems
SystemLoans in WACharged off (all years)Loss ratio in WAUnits in WA
Hand and Stone52 of 5——

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

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