Franchise brands › Sonic
Franchise brand105 approvals since FY2010
SBA loans to Sonic 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 FY2010, 105 SBA loan approvals worth $116M carry the Sonic franchise code, 22 of them in FY2021 to FY2025.
In FY2025 there were 2. The average approval in the five-year window was $1.4M, and 5 of the approvals were 504 loans.
15 lenders made the FY2021 to FY2025 loans across 12 states; the most active were Live Oak Banking Company (6), Webster Bank National Association (3) and Celtic Bank Corporation (1).
Of loans approved in FY2010 to FY2021 and disbursed, SBA records 2.6% 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* | 4 | $5.7M | $1.4M | 1 | 283 |
| FY2025 | 2 | — | — | 0 | 75 |
| FY2024 | 3 | $1.3M | $424K | 1 | 122 |
| FY2023 | 2 | — | — | 1 | 92 |
| FY2022 | 9 | $17.0M | $1.9M | 3 | 285 |
| FY2021 | 6 | $7.9M | $1.3M | 0 | 230 |
| FY2020 | 2 | — | — | 1 | 151 |
| FY2019 | 7 | $8.9M | $1.3M | 2 | 343 |
| FY2018 | 5 | $9.4M | $1.9M | 1 | 181 |
| FY2017 | 3 | $3.2M | $1.1M | 3 | 66 |
| FY2016 | 1 | — | — | 1 | 10 |
SBA's franchise field lists the brand as "SONIC"; "Sonic". Codes SBA has used for the same brand name are added together.
Charge-off cohort rate
| Loans approved FY2010–FY2021 | Sonic | All SBA loans |
|---|---|---|
| Approvals in these years | 85 | 725,496 |
| Cancelled or never disbursed | 8 | 91,827 |
| Disbursed loans | 77 | 633,669 |
| Paid in full | 66 | 471,304 |
| Charged off | 2 | 37,796 |
| Still outstanding (status exempt from disclosure) | 9 | 124,569 |
| Charged off, share of disbursed loans | 2.6% | 6.0% |
| Dollars charged off, share of disbursed dollars | 0.8% | 2.2% |
| Dollars charged off | $667K | $6.20bn |
Lenders
| # | Lender, FY2021–FY2025 | Approvals | Dollars | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Live Oak Banking CompanyWilmington, NC | 6 | $14.2M | 27.3% | |
| 2 | Webster Bank National AssociationWaterbury, CT | 3 | $2.9M | 13.6% | |
| 3 | Celtic Bank CorporationSalt Lake City, UT | 1 | — | 4.5% | |
| 4 | United Business BankWalnut Creek, CA | 1 | — | 4.5% | |
| 5 | Business Finance Group, Inc.Fairfax, VA · CDC | 1 | — | 4.5% | |
| 6 | Village Bank and Trust, National AssociationArlington Heights, IL | 1 | — | 4.5% | |
| 7 | Mortgage Capital Development CorporationOakland, CA · CDC | 1 | — | 4.5% | |
| 8 | Caprock Business Finance Corporation, Inc.Lubbock, TX · CDC | 1 | — | 4.5% | |
| 9 | Rural Enterprises of Oklahoma, Inc.Durant, OK · CDC | 1 | — | 4.5% | |
| 10 | SNB Bank National AssociationShattuck, OK | 1 | — | 4.5% | |
| 11 | Bay Colony Development CorporationWaltham, MA · CDC | 1 | — | 4.5% | |
| 12 | First Bank of the LakeOsage Beach, MO | 1 | — | 4.5% | |
| 13 | Enterprise BankAllison Park, PA | 1 | — | 4.5% | |
| 14 | Glacier BankKalispell, MT | 1 | — | 4.5% | |
| 15 | Zions Bank, A Division ofSalt Lake City, UT | 1 | — | 4.5% |
States
| # | State of the business, FY2021–FY2025 | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 6 | 27.3% | |
| 2 | Rhode Island | 4 | 18.2% | |
| 3 | Florida | 2 | 9.1% | |
| 4 | Oklahoma | 2 | 9.1% | |
| 5 | Minnesota | 1 | 4.5% | |
| 6 | Virginia | 1 | 4.5% | |
| 7 | Oregon | 1 | 4.5% | |
| 8 | Texas | 1 | 4.5% | |
| 9 | Indiana | 1 | 4.5% | |
| 10 | Pennsylvania | 1 | 4.5% | |
| 11 | Wyoming | 1 | 4.5% | |
| 12 | Colorado | 1 | 4.5% |
Filed under
| # | Industry group | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Restaurants and Other Eating PlacesNAICS 7225 | 22 | 100.0% |
Approval sizes
- $50,001 to $150,0004.5%1
- $150,001 to $350,00013.6%3
- $350,001 to $1 million31.8%7
- $1 million to $2 million22.7%5
- Over $2 million27.3%6
Age of the businesses
- Existing, more than 2 years old18.2%4
- New business, 2 years or less18.2%4
- Startup, loan funds will open the business45.5%10
- Change of ownership18.2%4
Questions and answers
How many SBA loans go to Sonic franchises?
105 approvals since FY2010, worth $116M; 22 in FY2021 to FY2025.
Which lenders make SBA loans for Sonic franchises?
By approvals in FY2021 to FY2025: Live Oak Banking Company (6), Webster Bank National Association (3), Celtic Bank Corporation (1), United Business Bank (1), Business Finance Group, Inc. (1).
How large is a typical SBA loan for a Sonic franchise?
The average approval in FY2021 to FY2025 was $1.4M.
What share of Sonic SBA loans are charged off?
Of 77 disbursed loans approved in FY2010 to FY2021, 2 (2.6%) are recorded as charged off; for all SBA loans from those years the figure is 6.0%.
Are SBA loans to Sonic franchises rising?
Approvals in the three latest complete fiscal years total 7, against 17 in the three before: falling (-59%).
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