Franchise brands › Once Upon A Child
Franchise brand194 approvals since FY2010
SBA loans to Once Upon A Child 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 194 loan approvals since FY2010 under the Once Upon A Child franchise brand, worth $53.9M; 63 of them came in FY2021 to FY2025.
In FY2025 there were 17, up 42% on FY2024. The average approval in the five-year window was $403K, and 3 of the approvals were 504 loans.
28 lenders made the FY2021 to FY2025 loans across 27 states; the most active were The Huntington National Bank (9), First Bank of the Lake (7) and Enterprise Bank (4).
Of loans approved in FY2010 to FY2021 and disbursed, SBA records 2.7% 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* | 12 | $4.1M | $345K | 0 | 168 |
| FY2025 | 17 | $6.4M | $376K | 0 | 251 |
| FY2024 | 12 | $4.7M | $389K | 0 | 215 |
| FY2023 | 13 | $4.6M | $351K | 0 | 285 |
| FY2022 | 11 | $5.8M | $523K | 2 | 143 |
| FY2021 | 10 | $4.0M | $401K | 1 | 191 |
| FY2020 | 8 | $3.1M | $388K | 1 | 159 |
| FY2019 | 11 | $2.6M | $239K | 0 | 159 |
| FY2018 | 18 | $4.0M | $223K | 1 | 318 |
| FY2017 | 9 | $1.6M | $178K | 0 | 107 |
| FY2016 | 11 | $2.4M | $217K | 0 | 141 |
SBA's franchise field lists the brand as "ONCE UPON A CHILD"; "Once Upon A Child". Codes SBA has used for the same brand name are added together.
Charge-off cohort rate
| Loans approved FY2010–FY2021 | Once Upon A Child | All SBA loans |
|---|---|---|
| Approvals in these years | 129 | 725,496 |
| Cancelled or never disbursed | 17 | 91,827 |
| Disbursed loans | 112 | 633,669 |
| Paid in full | 90 | 471,304 |
| Charged off | 3 | 37,796 |
| Still outstanding (status exempt from disclosure) | 19 | 124,569 |
| Charged off, share of disbursed loans | 2.7% | 6.0% |
| Dollars charged off, share of disbursed dollars | 1.7% | 2.2% |
| Dollars charged off | $459K | $6.20bn |
Lenders
| # | Lender, FY2021–FY2025 | Approvals | Dollars | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Huntington National BankColumbus, OH | 9 | $1.6M | 14.3% | |
| 2 | First Bank of the LakeOsage Beach, MO | 7 | $2.6M | 11.1% | |
| 3 | Enterprise BankAllison Park, PA | 4 | $1.4M | 6.3% | |
| 4 | U.S. Bank, National AssociationCincinnati, OH | 3 | $1.2M | 4.8% | |
| 5 | Citizens BankElizabethton, TN | 2 | — | 3.2% | |
| 6 | Bank Five NineOconomowoc, WI | 2 | — | 3.2% | |
| 7 | Live Oak Banking CompanyWilmington, NC | 2 | — | 3.2% | |
| 8 | TowneBankPortsmouth, VA | 2 | — | 3.2% | |
| 9 | United Community BankGreenville, SC | 2 | — | 3.2% | |
| 10 | Idaho Central CUChubbuck, ID | 2 | — | 3.2% | |
| 11 | Ally Dakota Development, Inc.Rapid City, SD · CDC | 1 | — | 1.6% | |
| 12 | American Bank of FreedomWellsville, MO | 1 | — | 1.6% | |
| 13 | Charter BankJohnston, IA | 1 | — | 1.6% | |
| 14 | VelocitySBA, LLCIrving, TX | 1 | — | 1.6% | |
| 15 | Southern Bancorp BankArkadelphia, AR | 1 | — | 1.6% |
States
| # | State of the business, FY2021–FY2025 | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pennsylvania | 6 | 9.5% | |
| 2 | Texas | 6 | 9.5% | |
| 3 | North Carolina | 5 | 7.9% | |
| 4 | Minnesota | 5 | 7.9% | |
| 5 | Florida | 4 | 6.3% | |
| 6 | Ohio | 4 | 6.3% | |
| 7 | Arizona | 3 | 4.8% | |
| 8 | Wisconsin | 3 | 4.8% | |
| 9 | Georgia | 3 | 4.8% | |
| 10 | California | 3 | 4.8% | |
| 11 | Washington | 3 | 4.8% | |
| 12 | Michigan | 2 | 3.2% | |
| 13 | New Jersey | 2 | 3.2% | |
| 14 | South Dakota | 1 | 1.6% | |
| 15 | Missouri | 1 | 1.6% |
Filed under
| # | Industry group | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Clothing and Clothing Accessories RetailersNAICS 4581 | 21 | 33.3% | |
| 2 | Used Merchandise RetailersNAICS 4595 | 17 | 27.0% | |
| 3 | Clothing StoresNAICS 4481 | 11 | 17.5% | |
| 4 | Used Merchandise StoresNAICS 4533 | 9 | 14.3% | |
| 5 | Automotive Repair and MaintenanceNAICS 8111 | 2 | 3.2% |
Approval sizes
- $50,000 or less14.3%9
- $50,001 to $150,0007.9%5
- $150,001 to $350,00033.3%21
- $350,001 to $1 million38.1%24
- $1 million to $2 million4.8%3
- Over $2 million1.6%1
Age of the businesses
- Existing, more than 2 years old34.9%22
- New business, 2 years or less7.9%5
- Startup, loan funds will open the business36.5%23
- Change of ownership20.6%13
Questions and answers
How many SBA loans go to Once Upon A Child franchises?
194 approvals since FY2010, worth $53.9M; 63 in FY2021 to FY2025.
Which lenders make SBA loans for Once Upon A Child franchises?
By approvals in FY2021 to FY2025: The Huntington National Bank (9), First Bank of the Lake (7), Enterprise Bank (4), U.S. Bank, National Association (3), Citizens Bank (2).
How large is a typical SBA loan for a Once Upon A Child franchise?
The average approval in FY2021 to FY2025 was $403K.
What share of Once Upon A Child SBA loans are charged off?
Of 112 disbursed loans approved in FY2010 to FY2021, 3 (2.7%) are recorded as charged off; for all SBA loans from those years the figure is 6.0%.
Are SBA loans to Once Upon A Child franchises rising?
Approvals in the three latest complete fiscal years total 42, against 29 in the three before: rising (+45%).
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