Franchise brands › DQ Grill & Chill Operating Agreement
Franchise brand145 approvals since FY2017
SBA loans to DQ Grill & Chill Operating Agreement 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.
Since FY2017, 145 SBA loan approvals worth $139M carry the DQ Grill & Chill Operating Agreement franchise code, 79 of them in FY2021 to FY2025.
In FY2025 there were 19, up 46% on FY2024. The average approval in the five-year window was $943K, and 16 of the approvals were 504 loans.
37 lenders made the FY2021 to FY2025 loans across 28 states; the most active were The Huntington National Bank (12), Live Oak Banking Company (5) and First State Bank Nebraska (4).
Of loans approved in FY2010 to FY2021 and disbursed, SBA records 0.0% 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* | 18 | $19.9M | $1.1M | 8 | 559 |
| FY2025 | 19 | $19.8M | $1.0M | 1 | 662 |
| FY2024 | 13 | $8.7M | $666K | 2 | 328 |
| FY2023 | 13 | $15.6M | $1.2M | 2 | 454 |
| FY2022 | 11 | $8.4M | $762K | 4 | 214 |
| FY2021 | 23 | $22.0M | $956K | 7 | 505 |
| FY2020 | 7 | $10.8M | $1.5M | 1 | 138 |
| FY2019 | 12 | $9.2M | $767K | 5 | 252 |
| FY2018 | 25 | $21.8M | $872K | 6 | 583 |
| FY2017 | 4 | $3.3M | $818K | 4 | 55 |
| FY2016 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 |
SBA's franchise field lists the brand as "DQ Grill & Chill Operating Agreement (American Dairy Queen)". Codes SBA has used for the same brand name are added together.
Charge-off cohort rate
| Loans approved FY2010–FY2021 | DQ Grill & Chill Operating Agreement | All SBA loans |
|---|---|---|
| Approvals in these years | 71 | 725,496 |
| Cancelled or never disbursed | 8 | 91,827 |
| Disbursed loans | 63 | 633,669 |
| Paid in full | 34 | 471,304 |
| Charged off | 0 | 37,796 |
| Still outstanding (status exempt from disclosure) | 29 | 124,569 |
| Charged off, share of disbursed loans | 0.0% | 6.0% |
| Dollars charged off, share of disbursed dollars | 0.0% | 2.2% |
| Dollars charged off | $0 | $6.20bn |
Lenders
| # | Lender, FY2021–FY2025 | Approvals | Dollars | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Huntington National BankColumbus, OH | 12 | $8.6M | 15.2% | |
| 2 | Live Oak Banking CompanyWilmington, NC | 5 | $5.0M | 6.3% | |
| 3 | First State Bank NebraskaLincoln, NE | 4 | $945K | 5.1% | |
| 4 | Wells Fargo Bank National AssociationSioux Falls, SD | 3 | $4.9M | 3.8% | |
| 5 | Florida Business Development CorporationTampa, FL · CDC | 3 | $3.0M | 3.8% | |
| 6 | Beacon Bank and TrustBrookline, MA | 3 | $2.9M | 3.8% | |
| 7 | Community National Bank & TrustChanute, KS | 3 | $2.3M | 3.8% | |
| 8 | Branson BankBranson, MO | 3 | $1.7M | 3.8% | |
| 9 | SouthState Bank, National AssociationWinter Haven, FL | 2 | — | 2.5% | |
| 10 | First Community BankLexington, SC | 2 | — | 2.5% | |
| 11 | PlainsCapital BankDallas, TX | 2 | — | 2.5% | |
| 12 | Dakota Business LendingFargo, ND · CDC | 2 | — | 2.5% | |
| 13 | Bank OZKLittle Rock, AR | 2 | — | 2.5% | |
| 14 | KeyBank National AssociationCleveland, OH | 2 | — | 2.5% | |
| 15 | Renasant BankTupelo, MS | 2 | — | 2.5% |
States
| # | State of the business, FY2021–FY2025 | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ohio | 7 | 8.9% | |
| 2 | Michigan | 6 | 7.6% | |
| 3 | Georgia | 6 | 7.6% | |
| 4 | Florida | 5 | 6.3% | |
| 5 | Illinois | 5 | 6.3% | |
| 6 | Texas | 4 | 5.1% | |
| 7 | Tennessee | 4 | 5.1% | |
| 8 | Missouri | 4 | 5.1% | |
| 9 | Wisconsin | 4 | 5.1% | |
| 10 | Nebraska | 4 | 5.1% | |
| 11 | Alabama | 3 | 3.8% | |
| 12 | Minnesota | 3 | 3.8% | |
| 13 | Kentucky | 3 | 3.8% | |
| 14 | Kansas | 3 | 3.8% | |
| 15 | California | 2 | 2.5% |
Filed under
| # | Industry group | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Restaurants and Other Eating PlacesNAICS 7225 | 77 | 97.5% | |
| 2 | Traveler AccommodationNAICS 7211 | 1 | 1.3% | |
| 3 | Specialty Food StoresNAICS 4452 | 1 | 1.3% |
Approval sizes
- $50,000 or less6.3%5
- $50,001 to $150,0007.6%6
- $150,001 to $350,0006.3%5
- $350,001 to $1 million39.2%31
- $1 million to $2 million30.4%24
- Over $2 million10.1%8
Age of the businesses
- Existing, more than 2 years old38.0%30
- New business, 2 years or less8.9%7
- Startup, loan funds will open the business25.3%20
- Change of ownership27.8%22
Questions and answers
How many SBA loans go to DQ Grill & Chill Operating Agreement franchises?
145 approvals since FY2017, worth $139M; 79 in FY2021 to FY2025.
Which lenders make SBA loans for DQ Grill & Chill Operating Agreement franchises?
By approvals in FY2021 to FY2025: The Huntington National Bank (12), Live Oak Banking Company (5), First State Bank Nebraska (4), Wells Fargo Bank National Association (3), Florida Business Development Corporation (3).
How large is a typical SBA loan for a DQ Grill & Chill Operating Agreement franchise?
The average approval in FY2021 to FY2025 was $943K.
What share of DQ Grill & Chill Operating Agreement SBA loans are charged off?
Of 63 disbursed loans approved in FY2010 to FY2021, 0 (0.0%) are recorded as charged off; for all SBA loans from those years the figure is 6.0%.
Are SBA loans to DQ Grill & Chill Operating Agreement franchises rising?
Approvals in the three latest complete fiscal years total 45, against 41 in the three before: rising (+10%).
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