SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA · FY1991–PRESENT · NEW JERSEY
Wetzel'S Pretzel franchise in New Jersey: what the public record shows
Franchisees of Wetzel'S Pretzel in New Jersey have taken 7 SBA loans since 1991 (average $311,714)— 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 16.5% is the better guide.
Loans in NJ
7
Resolved
3
Local charge-off
thin
National charge-off
16.5%
Source: SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA files (data.sba.gov), borrower state = NJ. 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.
Businesses in this industry
18,596
statewide, all operators
Per 100k residents
195.7
national 179.9
Versus the country
+9%
denser
Every business in Wetzel'S Pretzel's industry operating in New Jersey — 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.
| System | Loans in NJ | Local charge-off | Units in NJ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dunkin Donuts/Baskin-Robbins Co-Brand | 245 | 2.9% | — |
| Quiznos | 107 | 25.3% | — |
| Rita'S Real Italian Water Ice | 62 | 7.5% | — |
| Domino's Pizza | 56 | 12.8% | — |
| Burger King | 55 | 0.0% | — |
| Cold Stone Creamery | 47 | 19.4% | — |
| Saladworks | 42 | 36.1% | — |
| Blimpie | 35 | 17.9% | — |
| Manhattan Bagel | 32 | 10.7% | — |
| Papa Johns | 30 | 31.8% | — |
| RITA'S ICE-CUSTARD-HAPPINESS | 24 | 6.7% | — |
| Philly Soft Pretzel Factory | 22 | 35.0% | — |
Same sector, same state, same public records — how Wetzel'S Pretzel compares to the systems a buyer in New Jersey would actually be choosing between. Local rates under 10 resolved loans are marked thin, not hidden.
A broker is paid by the franchisor to place you. An independent CPA is paid by you — and the job is pressure-testing Wetzel'S Pretzel's numbers, including talking you out of a bad deal.
Talk to an independent CPA before you buy →