FRANCHISE·WATCH·DESK

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

Noodles & Company franchise in Connecticut: what the public record shows

Franchisees of Noodles & Company in Connecticut have taken 5 SBA loans since 1991 (average $695,520)— too few resolved loans in-state to publish a local failure rate (we require a resolved cohort, never extrapolate), so the brand's national rate of 0.0% is the better guide.

SBA loan outcomes · Connecticutvs national

Loans in CT

5

Resolved

3

Local charge-off

thin

National charge-off

0.0%

Source: SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA files (data.sba.gov), borrower state = CT. 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 of 30 loans.

Market density · Connecticut vs nationalTypical density

Businesses in this industry

7,524

statewide, all operators

Per 100k residents

204.7

national 179.9

Versus the country

+14%

denser

Every business in Noodles & Company's industry operating in Connecticut — 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.

Labor cost · Connecticut vs nationalTypical wages

Avg weekly wage, this industry

$590

Connecticut, BLS QCEW 2025

National average

$537

same industry, all states

Versus the country

+10%

costlier to staff

What Noodles & Company's industry actually pays workers in Connecticut, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (2025), employment-weighted across counties. This is a real cost signal 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 Connecticut11 systems
SystemLoans in CTLocal charge-offUnits in CT
Domino's Pizza3422.7%
Dunkin Donuts/Baskin-Robbins Co-Brand280.0%
Quiznos2852.0%
Cold Stone Creamery11thin
Wayback Burgers8thin
Carvel Ice Cream7thin
Five Guys7thin
Kentucky Fried Chicken7thin
Ben & Jerry'S Ice Cream6thin
Charley'S Grilled Subs5thin
Moe'S Sw Grill5thin

Same sector, same state, same public records — how Noodles & Company compares to the systems a buyer in Connecticut would actually be choosing between. Local rates under 10 resolved loans are marked thin, not hidden.

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A broker is paid by the franchisor to place you. I'm paid by you — and the job is pressure-testing Noodles & Company's numbers, including talking you out of a bad deal.

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

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