SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA · FY1991–PRESENT · TENNESSEE
Meineke franchise in Tennessee: what the public record shows
Franchisees of Meineke in Tennessee have taken 17 SBA loans since 1991 (average $212,126), and of the 15 loans whose story has ended, 26.7% were charged off — versus 25.3% for Meineke nationally and 14.8% across all rateable franchise brands.
Loans in TN
17
Resolved
15
Local charge-off
26.7%
National charge-off
25.3%
Source: SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA files (data.sba.gov), borrower state = TN. Charge-off rate = charged-off ÷ (charged-off + paid-in-full); open loans excluded. A local rate is published only when the resolved cohort clears our floor.
Businesses in this industry
1,645
statewide, all operators
Per 100k residents
22.8
national 30.2
Versus the country
-25%
thinner
Every business in Meineke's industry operating in Tennessee — franchised and independent — from the Census Bureau's County Business Patterns (2023), against 2024 population estimates. Counter-intuitively, density is not a warning: across 198 brand-state cells in our loan data, the densest quartile charges off at 5.6% versus 18.1% in the thinnest. A crowded market is usually proven demand; an empty one is often empty for a reason.
| System | Loans in TN | Local charge-off | Units in TN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christian Brothers Automotive | 15 | 0.0% | — |
| Midas Muffler Shop | 11 | thin | — |
| Exxon | 9 | thin | — |
| All Tune and Lube | 8 | thin | — |
| Maaco Auto Painting Center | 8 | thin | — |
| Milex/ Mr. Transmission | 8 | thin | — |
| Aamco Transmissions | 6 | thin | — |
| Amoco (Gas Station) | 5 | thin | — |
| Maaco Auto Painting & Bodyworks/Maaco Collisi | 5 | thin | — |
Same sector, same state, same public records — how Meineke compares to the systems a buyer in Tennessee would actually be choosing between. Local rates under 10 resolved loans are marked thin, not hidden.
A broker is paid by the franchisor to place you. An independent CPA is paid by you — and the job is pressure-testing Meineke's numbers, including talking you out of a bad deal.
Talk to an independent CPA before you buy →