Franchise brands › Cold Stone Creamery
Franchise brand305 approvals since FY2013
SBA loans to Cold Stone Creamery 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 305 loan approvals since FY2013 under the Cold Stone Creamery franchise brand, worth $101M; 156 of them came in FY2021 to FY2025.
In FY2025 there were 39, up 56% on FY2024. The average approval in the five-year window was $394K.
25 lenders made the FY2021 to FY2025 loans across 32 states; the most active were The Huntington National Bank (34), Citizens Bank (21) and Readycap Lending, LLC (6).
Of loans approved in FY2010 to FY2021 and disbursed, SBA records 0.8% 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* | 29 | $13.4M | $461K | 0 | 409 |
| FY2025 | 39 | $15.9M | $409K | 0 | 637 |
| FY2024 | 25 | $12.5M | $499K | 0 | 290 |
| FY2023 | 29 | $11.4M | $394K | 0 | 373 |
| FY2022 | 36 | $10.9M | $302K | 0 | 445 |
| FY2021 | 27 | $10.8M | $399K | 0 | 486 |
| FY2020 | 23 | $5.5M | $240K | 0 | 297 |
| FY2019 | 14 | $3.1M | $220K | 0 | 197 |
| FY2018 | 14 | $3.5M | $248K | 0 | 136 |
| FY2017 | 11 | $3.3M | $300K | 0 | 140 |
| FY2016 | 23 | $5.1M | $221K | 0 | 337 |
SBA's franchise field lists the brand as "COLD STONE CREAMERY"; "Cold Stone Creamery". Codes SBA has used for the same brand name are added together.
Charge-off cohort rate
| Loans approved FY2010–FY2021 | Cold Stone Creamery | All SBA loans |
|---|---|---|
| Approvals in these years | 147 | 725,496 |
| Cancelled or never disbursed | 14 | 91,827 |
| Disbursed loans | 133 | 633,669 |
| Paid in full | 89 | 471,304 |
| Charged off | 1 | 37,796 |
| Still outstanding (status exempt from disclosure) | 43 | 124,569 |
| Charged off, share of disbursed loans | 0.8% | 6.0% |
| Dollars charged off, share of disbursed dollars | 0.2% | 2.2% |
| Dollars charged off | $52K | $6.20bn |
Lenders
| # | Lender, FY2021–FY2025 | Approvals | Dollars | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Huntington National BankColumbus, OH | 34 | $9.3M | 21.8% | |
| 2 | Citizens BankElizabethton, TN | 21 | $10.5M | 13.5% | |
| 3 | Readycap Lending, LLCBerkeley Heights, NJ | 6 | $2.1M | 3.8% | |
| 4 | The Bancorp Bank National AssociationSioux Falls, SD | 5 | $2.4M | 3.2% | |
| 5 | Manufacturers and Traders Trust CompanyBuffalo, NY | 4 | $1.3M | 2.6% | |
| 6 | SouthState Bank, National AssociationWinter Haven, FL | 3 | $2.1M | 1.9% | |
| 7 | Newtek Small Business Finance, Inc.Lake Success, NY | 3 | $1.4M | 1.9% | |
| 8 | PNC Bank, National AssociationWilmington, DE | 3 | $1.4M | 1.9% | |
| 9 | Zions Bank, A Division ofSalt Lake City, UT | 3 | $1.2M | 1.9% | |
| 10 | KeyBank National AssociationCleveland, OH | 3 | $1.1M | 1.9% | |
| 11 | Commonwealth Business BankLos Angeles, CA | 3 | $797K | 1.9% | |
| 12 | U.S. Bank, National AssociationCincinnati, OH | 3 | $491K | 1.9% | |
| 13 | Pathward National AssociationSioux Falls, SD | 2 | — | 1.3% | |
| 14 | ConnectOne BankEnglewood Cliffs, NJ | 2 | — | 1.3% | |
| 15 | First Bank of the LakeOsage Beach, MO | 2 | — | 1.3% |
States
| # | State of the business, FY2021–FY2025 | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 38 | 24.4% | |
| 2 | Florida | 15 | 9.6% | |
| 3 | Texas | 12 | 7.7% | |
| 4 | Ohio | 10 | 6.4% | |
| 5 | New York | 7 | 4.5% | |
| 6 | Arizona | 6 | 3.8% | |
| 7 | Virginia | 6 | 3.8% | |
| 8 | Colorado | 5 | 3.2% | |
| 9 | North Carolina | 5 | 3.2% | |
| 10 | Indiana | 5 | 3.2% | |
| 11 | Pennsylvania | 4 | 2.6% | |
| 12 | New Jersey | 4 | 2.6% | |
| 13 | Washington | 4 | 2.6% | |
| 14 | Wisconsin | 4 | 2.6% | |
| 15 | Montana | 4 | 2.6% |
Filed under
| # | Industry group | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Restaurants and Other Eating PlacesNAICS 7225 | 131 | 84.0% | |
| 2 | Specialty Food StoresNAICS 4452 | 18 | 11.5% | |
| 3 | Dairy Product ManufacturingNAICS 3115 | 7 | 4.5% |
Approval sizes
- $50,000 or less12.8%20
- $50,001 to $150,0007.7%12
- $150,001 to $350,00026.9%42
- $350,001 to $1 million50.0%78
- $1 million to $2 million2.6%4
Age of the businesses
- Existing, more than 2 years old17.9%28
- New business, 2 years or less16.0%25
- Startup, loan funds will open the business46.8%73
- Change of ownership19.2%30
Questions and answers
How many SBA loans go to Cold Stone Creamery franchises?
305 approvals since FY2013, worth $101M; 156 in FY2021 to FY2025.
Which lenders make SBA loans for Cold Stone Creamery franchises?
By approvals in FY2021 to FY2025: The Huntington National Bank (34), Citizens Bank (21), Readycap Lending, LLC (6), The Bancorp Bank National Association (5), Manufacturers and Traders Trust Company (4).
How large is a typical SBA loan for a Cold Stone Creamery franchise?
The average approval in FY2021 to FY2025 was $394K.
What share of Cold Stone Creamery SBA loans are charged off?
Of 133 disbursed loans approved in FY2010 to FY2021, 1 (0.8%) are recorded as charged off; for all SBA loans from those years the figure is 6.0%.
Are SBA loans to Cold Stone Creamery franchises rising?
Approvals in the three latest complete fiscal years total 93, against 86 in the three before: broadly level (+8%).
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