SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA · FY1991–PRESENT · WISCONSIN
Papa Murphy'S franchise in Wisconsin: what the public record shows
Franchisees of Papa Murphy'S in Wisconsin have taken 51 SBA loans in the FY1991–present FOIA files (average $214,292). Those approved through FY2020 defaulted less often than franchise loans made in the same years nationally: 0 charge-offs among 40 resolved loans, where about 6.3 would be expected (0×). Papa Murphy'S's national ratio is 0.4×.
Loans in WI
51
Charged off (all years)
3 of 44
Loss ratio in WI
0×
Loss ratio nationally
0.4×
Source: SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA files (data.sba.gov), borrower state = WI. 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.
Businesses in this industry
10,130
statewide, all operators
Per 100k residents
169.9
national 179.9
Versus the country
-6%
thinner
Every business in Papa Murphy'S's industry operating in Wisconsin — 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.
Avg weekly wage, this industry
$418
Wisconsin, BLS QCEW 2025
National average
$537
same industry, all states
Versus the country
-22%
cheaper to staff
What Papa Murphy'S's industry actually pays workers in Wisconsin, 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.
| System | Loans in WI | Charged off (all years) | Loss ratio in WI | Units in WI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Culver's | 154 | 0 of 110 | 0× | — |
| Subway | 146 | 12 of 128 | 0.5× | 425 |
| DAIRY QUEEN | 77 | 5 of 58 | 0.5×NOT CLEAR | — |
| Cousins Submarines (Restaurant) | 69 | 10 of 66 | 0.7×NOT CLEAR | — |
| Quiznos | 55 | 16 of 48 | 1.6×NOT CLEAR | — |
| Toppers Pizza | 52 | 0 of 43 | 0× | — |
| Jimmy John's | 39 | 1 of 30 | — | — |
| Domino's Pizza | 33 | 1 of 27 | — | — |
| PIZZA RANCH | 26 | 1 of 15 | — | 30 |
| TACO JOHN'S | 22 | 6 of 11 | — | 33 |
| Cold Stone Creamery | 21 | 5 of 15 | — | — |
| Rosati'S Pizza | 19 | 4 of 15 | — | — |
Other systems in Papa Murphy'S's sector whose franchisees borrowed in Wisconsin. 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 Papa Murphy'S numbers, including talking you out of a bad deal.