Franchise brands › Bruster's Real Ice Cream
Franchise brand106 approvals since FY2017
SBA loans to Bruster's Real Ice Cream franchises
Approvals SBA files under the brand's franchise code. The loans are to independent franchise owners; this page describes the brand in aggregate and no franchisee.
SBA approvals by fiscal year. The federal fiscal year runs 1 October to 30 September, so FY2025 is 1 October 2024 to 30 September 2025. *FY2026 is open: approvals to 30 Jun 2026 only.
SBA lists 106 loan approvals since FY2017 under the Bruster's Real Ice Cream franchise brand, worth $68.1M; 80 of them came in FY2021 to FY2025.
In FY2025 there were 16, about level with FY2024. The average approval in the five-year window was $674K, and 7 of the approvals were 504 loans.
29 lenders made the FY2021 to FY2025 loans across 20 states; the most active were United Community Bank (23), America First Federal Credit Union (8) and The Huntington National Bank (8).
Of loans approved in FY2010 to FY2021 and disbursed, SBA records 3.2% as charged off, below the 6.0% for all SBA loans from those years. The figures describe loans to independent franchise owners, not the franchisor.
Loan status is as recorded by SBA at the data date; charge-off rates are computed on loans approved at least five fiscal years ago. Jobs supported are self-reported estimates from the SBA loan application, which SBA does not review, audit or validate. Data through 30 Jun 2026.
Loans by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Approvals | Dollars approved | Average approval | of which 504 | Jobs supported, as reported |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2026* | 6 | $3.7M | $616K | 2 | 47 |
| FY2025 | 16 | $11.0M | $687K | 0 | 233 |
| FY2024 | 15 | $9.0M | $597K | 2 | 289 |
| FY2023 | 20 | $13.4M | $669K | 0 | 545 |
| FY2022 | 16 | $11.6M | $723K | 3 | 344 |
| FY2021 | 13 | $9.1M | $696K | 2 | 363 |
| FY2020 | 7 | $3.3M | $477K | 0 | 168 |
| FY2019 | 4 | $1.9M | $486K | 1 | 65 |
| FY2018 | 8 | $5.0M | $622K | 1 | 173 |
| FY2017 | 1 | — | — | 1 | 5 |
| FY2016 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 |
SBA's franchise field lists the brand as "Bruster's Real Ice Cream". Codes SBA has used for the same brand name are added together.
Charge-off cohort rate
| Loans approved FY2010–FY2021 | Bruster's Real Ice Cream | All SBA loans |
|---|---|---|
| Approvals in these years | 33 | 725,496 |
| Cancelled or never disbursed | 2 | 91,827 |
| Disbursed loans | 31 | 633,669 |
| Paid in full | 13 | 471,304 |
| Charged off | 1 | 37,796 |
| Still outstanding (status exempt from disclosure) | 17 | 124,569 |
| Charged off, share of disbursed loans | 3.2% | 6.0% |
| Dollars charged off, share of disbursed dollars | 0.2% | 2.2% |
| Dollars charged off | $39K | $6.20bn |
Lenders
| # | Lender, FY2021–FY2025 | Approvals | Dollars | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United Community BankGreenville, SC | 23 | $13.8M | 28.7% | |
| 2 | America First Federal Credit UnionRiverdale, UT | 8 | $6.4M | 10.0% | |
| 3 | The Huntington National BankColumbus, OH | 8 | $3.2M | 10.0% | |
| 4 | Mortgage Capital Development CorporationOakland, CA · CDC | 3 | $2.5M | 3.8% | |
| 5 | Mission Valley BankSun Valley, CA | 3 | $2.1M | 3.8% | |
| 6 | Citizens BankElizabethton, TN | 2 | — | 2.5% | |
| 7 | Pinnacle BankNashville, TN | 2 | — | 2.5% | |
| 8 | Genesee Regional BankRochester, NY | 2 | — | 2.5% | |
| 9 | LiftFund, Inc.San Antonio, TX · CDC | 2 | — | 2.5% | |
| 10 | Embassy National BankLawrenceville, GA | 2 | — | 2.5% | |
| 11 | First Bank of the LakeOsage Beach, MO | 2 | — | 2.5% | |
| 12 | TD Bank, National AssociationWilmington, DE | 2 | — | 2.5% | |
| 13 | Zions Bank, A Division ofSalt Lake City, UT | 2 | — | 2.5% | |
| 14 | Bank of Travelers RestTravelers Rest, SC | 2 | — | 2.5% | |
| 15 | Frost BankSan Antonio, TX | 1 | — | 1.3% |
States
| # | State of the business, FY2021–FY2025 | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Georgia | 11 | 13.8% | |
| 2 | Texas | 8 | 10.0% | |
| 3 | South Carolina | 8 | 10.0% | |
| 4 | California | 8 | 10.0% | |
| 5 | Arizona | 7 | 8.8% | |
| 6 | Missouri | 5 | 6.3% | |
| 7 | North Carolina | 4 | 5.0% | |
| 8 | Illinois | 4 | 5.0% | |
| 9 | Maryland | 4 | 5.0% | |
| 10 | Nevada | 3 | 3.8% | |
| 11 | Virginia | 3 | 3.8% | |
| 12 | Ohio | 3 | 3.8% | |
| 13 | New York | 2 | 2.5% | |
| 14 | Indiana | 2 | 2.5% | |
| 15 | Florida | 2 | 2.5% |
Filed under
| # | Industry group | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Restaurants and Other Eating PlacesNAICS 7225 | 75 | 93.8% | |
| 2 | Specialty Food StoresNAICS 4452 | 2 | 2.5% | |
| 3 | Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar EventsNAICS 7113 | 1 | 1.3% | |
| 4 | Lessors of Real EstateNAICS 5311 | 1 | 1.3% | |
| 5 | Dairy Product ManufacturingNAICS 3115 | 1 | 1.3% |
Approval sizes
- $50,000 or less13.8%11
- $50,001 to $150,0006.3%5
- $150,001 to $350,00015.0%12
- $350,001 to $1 million47.5%38
- $1 million to $2 million12.5%10
- Over $2 million5.0%4
Age of the businesses
- Existing, more than 2 years old16.3%13
- New business, 2 years or less20.0%16
- Startup, loan funds will open the business57.5%46
- Change of ownership6.3%5
Questions and answers
How many SBA loans go to Bruster's Real Ice Cream franchises?
106 approvals since FY2017, worth $68.1M; 80 in FY2021 to FY2025.
Which lenders make SBA loans for Bruster's Real Ice Cream franchises?
By approvals in FY2021 to FY2025: United Community Bank (23), America First Federal Credit Union (8), The Huntington National Bank (8), Mortgage Capital Development Corporation (3), Mission Valley Bank (3).
How large is a typical SBA loan for a Bruster's Real Ice Cream franchise?
The average approval in FY2021 to FY2025 was $674K.
What share of Bruster's Real Ice Cream SBA loans are charged off?
Of 31 disbursed loans approved in FY2010 to FY2021, 1 (3.2%) are recorded as charged off; for all SBA loans from those years the figure is 6.0%.
Are SBA loans to Bruster's Real Ice Cream franchises rising?
Approvals in the three latest complete fiscal years total 51, against 36 in the three before: rising (+42%).
About these figures
Figures are totals of the Small Business Administration's 7(a) and 504 FOIA loan files, data through 30 Jun 2026. SBA updates the files quarterly. Counts are loan approvals, including approvals later cancelled; the five-year window is FY2021–FY2025, the five latest complete fiscal years. Charge-off rates use only loans approved in FY2010–FY2021, at least five fiscal years ago, and count disbursed loans SBA records as charged off. Loans are listed under the lender they are assigned to today. Dollar figures behind fewer than three approvals are not shown, and no borrower is named anywhere on this site.Methodology · Report an error