PUERTO RICO · SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA · FY1991–PRESENT
Franchises in Puerto Rico: the loan record
Since 1991, banks have made 302 SBA-backed loans to franchisees of 13 different brands in Puerto Rico. 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.
302
SBA loans since 1991
13
Brands financed
13.4%
Local charge-off rate
9.4
Loans per 100k residents
| # | Brand | Loans | Local charge-off | Deep dive |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Subway | 96 | 4.6% | LOCAL RECORD → |
| 2 | Taco Maker | 59 | 23.8% | LOCAL RECORD → |
| 3 | Marco's Pizza | 34 | 0.0%THIN | LOCAL RECORD → |
| 4 | Quiznos | 29 | 20.0%THIN | LOCAL RECORD → |
| 5 | POSTNET | 27 | 13.6%THIN | LOCAL RECORD → |
| 6 | Carvel Ice Cream | 14 | 36.4%THIN | LOCAL RECORD → |
| 7 | Cold Stone Creamery | 10 | — | LOCAL RECORD → |
| 8 | Blimpie | 7 | — | LOCAL RECORD → |
| 9 | Arby's | 6 | — | LOCAL RECORD → |
| 10 | Checkers Drive-in Restaurant | 5 | — | LOCAL RECORD → |
| 11 | Curves for Women | 5 | — | LOCAL RECORD → |
| 12 | Mail Boxes Etc. Usa | 5 | — | LOCAL RECORD → |
| 13 | THE UPS STORE NON-TRADITIONAL | 5 | — | LOCAL RECORD → |
| Carvel Ice Cream | 4 of 11 defaulted | 36.4%THIN |
| Taco Maker | 10 of 42 defaulted | 23.8% |
| Quiznos | 4 of 20 defaulted | 20.0%THIN |
| POSTNET | 3 of 22 defaulted | 13.6%THIN |
| Subway | 4 of 87 defaulted | 4.6% |
| Marco's Pizza | 0 of 12 defaulted | 0.0%THIN |
| Marco's Pizza | 0 of 12 defaulted | 0.0%THIN |
| Subway | 4 of 87 defaulted | 4.6% |
| POSTNET | 3 of 22 defaulted | 13.6%THIN |
| Quiznos | 4 of 20 defaulted | 20.0%THIN |
| Taco Maker | 10 of 42 defaulted | 23.8% |
| Carvel Ice Cream | 4 of 11 defaulted | 36.4%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 Puerto Rico. 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 Puerto Rico 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.