SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA · FY1991–PRESENT · MINNESOTA
TACO JOHN'S franchise in Minnesota: what the public record shows
Franchisees of TACO JOHN'S in Minnesota have taken 37 SBA loans in the FY1991–present FOIA files (average $315,135). Those approved through FY2020 defaulted at a rate not clearly different from franchise loans made in the same years nationally: 2 charge-offs among 31 resolved loans, where about 6.3 would be expected (0.3×). TACO JOHN'S's national ratio is 0.9× (not clearly different from 1.0×). Its latest FDD Item 20 state table reports 50 franchised outlets in Minnesota (fiscal 2025) — about 0.86 per 100k residents.
Loans in MN
37
Charged off (all years)
2 of 32
Loss ratio in MN (not clear)
0.3×
Loss ratio nationally (not clear)
0.9×
Source: SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA files (data.sba.gov), borrower state = MN. 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
8,754
statewide, all operators
Per 100k residents
151.1
national 179.9
Versus the country
-16%
thinner
Every business in TACO JOHN'S's industry operating in Minnesota — 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
$507
Minnesota, BLS QCEW 2025
National average
$537
same industry, all states
Versus the country
-6%
cheaper to staff
What TACO JOHN'S's industry actually pays workers in Minnesota, 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 | 54 | 2 |
| 2024 | 52 | 2 |
| 2025 | 50 | 2 |
| System | Loans in MN | Charged off (all years) | Loss ratio in MN | Units in MN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DAIRY QUEEN | 143 | 6 of 113 | 0.4× | — |
| Subway | 108 | 4 of 75 | 0.3× | 355 |
| Jimmy John's | 76 | 1 of 55 | 0.1× | — |
| Quiznos | 72 | 13 of 60 | 1.1×NOT CLEAR | — |
| Culver's | 68 | 3 of 49 | 0.4× | — |
| PIZZA RANCH | 57 | 4 of 42 | 0.6×NOT CLEAR | 43 |
| Papa Murphy'S | 54 | 0 of 37 | 0× | — |
| Domino's Pizza | 36 | 1 of 28 | — | — |
| Dunn Bros Coffee | 32 | 7 of 31 | 1.0×NOT CLEAR | — |
| Cold Stone Creamery | 30 | 7 of 28 | — | — |
| Nautical Bowls | 30 | 3 of 12 | — | 0 |
| Erbert & Gerbert'S Subs & Clubs | 29 | 3 of 19 | — | — |
Other systems in TACO JOHN'S's sector whose franchisees borrowed in Minnesota. 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 TACO JOHN'S numbers, including talking you out of a bad deal.