FRANCHISE·WATCH·DESK

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

Wingstop franchise in Indiana: what the public record shows

Franchisees of Wingstop in Indiana have taken 8 SBA loans in the FY1991–present FOIA files (average $316,437). Fewer than 30 of them were approved through FY2020 and have resolved, so no local loss ratio is published. Wingstop's national ratio is 0.5×. Its latest FDD Item 20 state table reports 47 franchised outlets in Indiana (fiscal 2025) — about 0.68 per 100k residents.

SBA loan outcomes · Indianavs same-year franchise loans

Loans in IN

8

Charged off (all years)

0 of 7

Loss ratio in IN

—

Loss ratio nationally

0.5×

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

Businesses in this industry

11,431

statewide, all operators

Per 100k residents

165.1

national 179.9

Versus the country

-8%

thinner

Every business in Wingstop's industry operating in Indiana — 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 · Indiana vs nationalBelow-average wages

Avg weekly wage, this industry

$436

Indiana, BLS QCEW 2025

National average

$537

same industry, all states

Versus the country

-19%

cheaper to staff

What Wingstop's industry actually pays workers in Indiana, 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 Indiana · FDD Item 20+13 over the disclosed window
Fiscal yearFranchisedCompany-owned
202334—
202439—
202547—
Same-sector systems with SBA loan history in Indiana12 systems
SystemLoans in INCharged off (all years)Loss ratio in INUnits in IN
Subway2386 of 1910.2×535
DAIRY QUEEN1422 of 1040.1×—
Jimmy John's510 of 380×—
Culver's493 of 320.6×NOT CLEAR—
WINGS ETC.452 of 300.4×NOT CLEAR23
Quiznos415 of 350.7×NOT CLEAR—
Biggby Coffee380 of 12——
Little Caesars371 of 28——
Ritter'S Frozen Custard367 of 26——
Blimpie3212 of 27——
Domino's Pizza301 of 22——
Smoothie King240 of 17——

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

Before you sign anythingfree · 30 min · no commission

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 Wingstop’s numbers, including talking you out of a bad deal.

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

Book a free 30-minute call →