FRANCHISE·WATCH·DESK

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

SCOOTER'S COFFEE franchise in Tennessee: what the public record shows

Franchisees of SCOOTER'S COFFEE in Tennessee have taken 20 SBA loans in the FY1991–present FOIA files (average $1,145,345). Fewer than 30 of them were approved through FY2020 and have resolved, so no local loss ratio is published. SCOOTER'S COFFEE's national ratio is 0.3×. Its latest FDD Item 20 state table reports 24 franchised outlets in Tennessee (fiscal 2024) — about 0.33 per 100k residents.

SBA loan outcomes · Tennesseevs same-year franchise loans

Loans in TN

20

Charged off (all years)

0 of 2

Loss ratio in TN

—

Loss ratio nationally

0.3×

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

Businesses in this industry

12,160

statewide, all operators

Per 100k residents

168.2

national 179.9

Versus the country

-7%

thinner

Every business in SCOOTER'S COFFEE'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 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 · Tennessee vs nationalTypical wages

Avg weekly wage, this industry

$503

Tennessee, BLS QCEW 2025

National average

$537

same industry, all states

Versus the country

-6%

cheaper to staff

What SCOOTER'S COFFEE's industry actually pays workers in Tennessee, 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 Tennessee · FDD Item 20+13 over the disclosed window
Fiscal yearFranchisedCompany-owned
202211—
202317—
202424—
Same-sector systems with SBA loan history in Tennessee12 systems
SystemLoans in TNCharged off (all years)Loss ratio in TNUnits in TN
Subway491 of 420.1×524
Zaxby's382 of 29——
DAIRY QUEEN352 of 26——
Culver's200 of 13——
Marco's Pizza190 of 11——
Schlotzsky'S197 of 18——
Cicis Pizza186 of 17——
Firehouse Subs180 of 9—48
Quiznos185 of 14——
Baskin-Robbins162 of 12——
Jimmy John's162 of 10——
Smoothie King163 of 10——

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

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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 SCOOTER'S COFFEE’s numbers, including talking you out of a bad deal.

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