CALIFORNIA · SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA · FY1991–PRESENT
Franchises in California: the loan record
Since 1991, banks have made 12,138 SBA-backed loans to franchisees of 404 different brands in California. Of the loans already resolved, 13.4% were charged off — 9% below the national franchise baseline of 14.8%. This page is not a directory of who paid to be listed; it is what actually happened to the people who bought franchises here, according to the federal loan record.
12,138
SBA loans since 1991
404
Brands financed
13.4%
Local charge-off rate
30.8
Loans per 100k residents
| Taco Del Mar | 11 of 14 defaulted | 78.6%THIN |
| Planet Beach | 15 of 24 defaulted | 62.5%THIN |
| Cartridge World | 7 of 12 defaulted | 58.3%THIN |
| Dickey'S Barbecue Pit | 13 of 23 defaulted | 56.5%THIN |
| All Tune and Lube | 17 of 33 defaulted | 51.5% |
| Dream Dinners | 5 of 10 defaulted | 50.0%THIN |
| Max Muscle | 5 of 10 defaulted | 50.0%THIN |
| Schlotzsky'S | 10 of 22 defaulted | 45.5%THIN |
| PITA PIT | 5 of 11 defaulted | 45.5%THIN |
| THE MELTING POT | 5 of 11 defaulted | 45.5%THIN |
| Huntington Learning Center | 10 of 23 defaulted | 43.5%THIN |
| Signarama | 6 of 14 defaulted | 42.9%THIN |
| Chem-Dry | 5 of 12 defaulted | 41.7%THIN |
| Maui Wowi | 5 of 12 defaulted | 41.7%THIN |
| Pizza Factory | 5 of 12 defaulted | 41.7%THIN |
| Ampm Mini Market- Arco | 0 of 51 defaulted | 0.0% |
| Motel 6 | 0 of 50 defaulted | 0.0% |
| QUALITY INN | 0 of 44 defaulted | 0.0% |
| Club Pilates | 0 of 37 defaulted | 0.0% |
| Orangetheory | 0 of 35 defaulted | 0.0% |
| Jack in the Box | 0 of 34 defaulted | 0.0% |
| SERVICEMASTER RESTORE | 0 of 27 defaulted | 0.0%THIN |
| Chevron - Retail Supply Contract | 0 of 25 defaulted | 0.0%THIN |
| Nothing Bundt Cakes | 0 of 25 defaulted | 0.0%THIN |
| RODEWAY INN | 0 of 25 defaulted | 0.0%THIN |
| Dutch Bros. Coffee | 0 of 23 defaulted | 0.0%THIN |
| SUPERCUTS | 0 of 22 defaulted | 0.0%THIN |
| Americas Best Value Inn | 0 of 21 defaulted | 0.0%THIN |
| MOLLY MAID | 0 of 21 defaulted | 0.0%THIN |
| Red Roof Inn | 0 of 20 defaulted | 0.0%THIN |
Every SBA 7(a) and 504 loan in the FY1991–present FOIA files (data.sba.gov) whose borrower is matched to a franchise brand and whose borrower state is California. Charge-off rate = charged-off ÷ (charged-off + paid-in-full); still-open loans never dilute the rate. A local rate prints only at 10+ resolved loans in-state, and is marked THIN below 30 — directional, not a verdict. Local conditions, lender mix, and era all sit inside these numbers; read a brand's national record and its FDD before concluding anything. Brand links lead to the full sourced profile; “local record” links to the brand's California loan page.
A broker is paid by the franchisor to place you. I'm paid by you — and the job is pressure-testing the numbers, including talking you out of a bad deal.