FRANCHISE·WATCH·DESK

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

Planet Beach franchise in Washington: what the public record shows

Franchisees of Planet Beach in Washington have taken 7 SBA loans since 1991 (average $211,471)— 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 54.5% is the better guide.

SBA loan outcomes · Washingtonvs national

Loans in WA

7

Resolved

7

Local charge-off

thin

National charge-off

54.5%

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

Businesses in this industry

2,342

statewide, all operators

Per 100k residents

29.4

national 26.6

Versus the country

+11%

denser

Every business in Planet Beach'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 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 · Washington vs nationalHigh wage pressure

Avg weekly wage, this industry

$818

Washington, BLS QCEW 2025

National average

$698

same industry, all states

Versus the country

+17%

costlier to staff

What Planet Beach'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 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 Washington4 systems
SystemLoans in WALocal charge-offUnits in WA
Fantastic Sams1642.9%
GREAT CLIPS130.0%
WAXING THE CITY10thin
Hand and Stone9thin

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

Before you sign anythingfree · 30 min · no commission

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

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

Book a free 30-minute call →