Franchise brands › Wetzel's Pretzels
Franchise brand102 approvals since FY2013
SBA loans to Wetzel's Pretzels 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 102 loan approvals since FY2013 under the Wetzel's Pretzels franchise brand, worth $42.9M; 41 of them came in FY2021 to FY2025.
In FY2025 there were 7, down 36% on FY2024. The average approval in the five-year window was $527K.
18 lenders made the FY2021 to FY2025 loans across 13 states; the most active were First Bank of the Lake (8), Mountain America FCU (5) and United Business Bank (4).
Of loans approved in FY2010 to FY2021 and disbursed, SBA records 4.1% 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* | 10 | $7.2M | $722K | 1 | 221 |
| FY2025 | 7 | $5.0M | $719K | 0 | 59 |
| FY2024 | 11 | $4.9M | $446K | 0 | 133 |
| FY2023 | 10 | $6.0M | $601K | 0 | 113 |
| FY2022 | 10 | $3.7M | $374K | 0 | 156 |
| FY2021 | 3 | $1.9M | $638K | 0 | 87 |
| FY2020 | 5 | $1.3M | $267K | 0 | 68 |
| FY2019 | 1 | — | — | 0 | 8 |
| FY2018 | 2 | — | — | 0 | 4 |
| FY2017 | 8 | $3.4M | $428K | 0 | 165 |
| FY2016 | 13 | $2.1M | $159K | 0 | 149 |
SBA's franchise field lists the brand as "WETZEL'S PRETZELS"; "Wetzel's Pretzels". Codes SBA has used for the same brand name are added together.
Charge-off cohort rate
| Loans approved FY2010–FY2021 | Wetzel's Pretzels | All SBA loans |
|---|---|---|
| Approvals in these years | 54 | 725,496 |
| Cancelled or never disbursed | 5 | 91,827 |
| Disbursed loans | 49 | 633,669 |
| Paid in full | 41 | 471,304 |
| Charged off | 2 | 37,796 |
| Still outstanding (status exempt from disclosure) | 6 | 124,569 |
| Charged off, share of disbursed loans | 4.1% | 6.0% |
| Dollars charged off, share of disbursed dollars | 2.2% | 2.2% |
| Dollars charged off | $321K | $6.20bn |
Lenders
| # | Lender, FY2021–FY2025 | Approvals | Dollars | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | First Bank of the LakeOsage Beach, MO | 8 | $3.5M | 19.5% | |
| 2 | Mountain America FCUSandy, UT | 5 | $1.9M | 12.2% | |
| 3 | United Business BankWalnut Creek, CA | 4 | $2.3M | 9.8% | |
| 4 | PCB BankLos Angeles, CA | 4 | $2.1M | 9.8% | |
| 5 | Citizens BankElizabethton, TN | 3 | $1.5M | 7.3% | |
| 6 | Idaho Central CUChubbuck, ID | 2 | — | 4.9% | |
| 7 | ConnectOne BankEnglewood Cliffs, NJ | 2 | — | 4.9% | |
| 8 | The Huntington National BankColumbus, OH | 2 | — | 4.9% | |
| 9 | Oriental BankSan Juan, PR | 2 | — | 4.9% | |
| 10 | SMBC MANUBANKLos Angeles, CA | 1 | — | 2.4% | |
| 11 | OceanFirst Bank, National AssociationToms River, NJ | 1 | — | 2.4% | |
| 12 | Beacon Bank and TrustBrookline, MA | 1 | — | 2.4% | |
| 13 | VelocitySBA, LLCIrving, TX | 1 | — | 2.4% | |
| 14 | America First Federal Credit UnionRiverdale, UT | 1 | — | 2.4% | |
| 15 | First Internet Bank of IndianaFishers, IN | 1 | — | 2.4% |
States
| # | State of the business, FY2021–FY2025 | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 15 | 36.6% | |
| 2 | Utah | 5 | 12.2% | |
| 3 | Texas | 5 | 12.2% | |
| 4 | New Jersey | 3 | 7.3% | |
| 5 | Idaho | 2 | 4.9% | |
| 6 | Maryland | 2 | 4.9% | |
| 7 | Nevada | 2 | 4.9% | |
| 8 | Puerto Rico | 2 | 4.9% | |
| 9 | Florida | 1 | 2.4% | |
| 10 | Georgia | 1 | 2.4% | |
| 11 | Colorado | 1 | 2.4% | |
| 12 | New Mexico | 1 | 2.4% | |
| 13 | Tennessee | 1 | 2.4% |
Filed under
| # | Industry group | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Restaurants and Other Eating PlacesNAICS 7225 | 33 | 80.5% | |
| 2 | Specialty Food StoresNAICS 4452 | 7 | 17.1% | |
| 3 | Special Food ServicesNAICS 7223 | 1 | 2.4% |
Approval sizes
- $50,000 or less12.2%5
- $50,001 to $150,0002.4%1
- $150,001 to $350,00026.8%11
- $350,001 to $1 million48.8%20
- $1 million to $2 million7.3%3
- Over $2 million2.4%1
Age of the businesses
- Existing, more than 2 years old14.6%6
- New business, 2 years or less9.8%4
- Startup, loan funds will open the business61.0%25
- Change of ownership14.6%6
Questions and answers
How many SBA loans go to Wetzel's Pretzels franchises?
102 approvals since FY2013, worth $42.9M; 41 in FY2021 to FY2025.
Which lenders make SBA loans for Wetzel's Pretzels franchises?
By approvals in FY2021 to FY2025: First Bank of the Lake (8), Mountain America FCU (5), United Business Bank (4), PCB Bank (4), Citizens Bank (3).
How large is a typical SBA loan for a Wetzel's Pretzels franchise?
The average approval in FY2021 to FY2025 was $527K.
What share of Wetzel's Pretzels SBA loans are charged off?
Of 49 disbursed loans approved in FY2010 to FY2021, 2 (4.1%) are recorded as charged off; for all SBA loans from those years the figure is 6.0%.
Are SBA loans to Wetzel's Pretzels franchises rising?
Approvals in the three latest complete fiscal years total 28, against 18 in the three before: rising (+56%).
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