SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA · FY1991–PRESENT · NEBRASKA
Subway franchise in Nebraska: what the public record shows
Franchisees of Subway in Nebraska have taken 53 SBA loans in the FY1991–present FOIA files (average $225,677). Those approved through FY2020 defaulted at a rate not clearly different from franchise loans made in the same years nationally: 4 charge-offs among 43 resolved loans, where about 8.1 would be expected (0.5×). Subway's national ratio is 0.4×. Its latest FDD Item 20 state table reports 153 franchised outlets in Nebraska (fiscal 2025) — about 7.63 per 100k residents.
Loans in NE
53
Charged off (all years)
4 of 43
Loss ratio in NE (not clear)
0.5×
Loss ratio nationally
0.4×
Source: SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA files (data.sba.gov), borrower state = NE. 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
3,342
statewide, all operators
Per 100k residents
166.6
national 179.9
Versus the country
-7%
thinner
Every business in Subway's industry operating in Nebraska — 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
$434
Nebraska, BLS QCEW 2025
National average
$537
same industry, all states
Versus the country
-19%
cheaper to staff
What Subway's industry actually pays workers in Nebraska, 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.
| Fiscal year | Franchised | Company-owned |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 168 | 0 |
| 2024 | 162 | 0 |
| 2025 | 153 | 0 |
| System | Loans in NE | Charged off (all years) | Loss ratio in NE | Units in NE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DAIRY QUEEN | 33 | 0 of 20 | — | — |
| SCOOTER'S COFFEE | 33 | 1 of 19 | — | 111 |
| Quiznos | 21 | 7 of 17 | — | — |
| Domino's Pizza | 17 | 1 of 13 | — | — |
| Pizza Hut | 16 | 0 of 16 | — | — |
| Blimpie | 14 | 1 of 12 | — | — |
| TACO JOHN'S | 14 | 1 of 10 | — | 34 |
| Culver's | 11 | 1 of 4 | — | — |
| Cold Stone Creamery | 9 | 4 of 7 | — | — |
| Mr. Goodcents Subs & Pastas | 9 | 1 of 7 | — | — |
| Daylight Donut Shop | 7 | 5 of 6 | — | — |
| GODFATHER'S PIZZA | 7 | 1 of 5 | — | — |
Other systems in Subway's sector whose franchisees borrowed in Nebraska. 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 Subway’s numbers, including talking you out of a bad deal.