Franchise brands › Wild Birds Unlimited
Franchise brand96 approvals since FY2010
SBA loans to Wild Birds Unlimited 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 96 loan approvals since FY2010 under the Wild Birds Unlimited franchise brand, worth $28.9M; 45 of them came in FY2021 to FY2025.
In FY2025 there were 3. The average approval in the five-year window was $392K.
19 lenders made the FY2021 to FY2025 loans across 24 states; the most active were First-Citizens Bank & Trust Company (15), First Business Bank (4) and The Huntington National Bank (3).
Of loans approved in FY2010 to FY2021 and disbursed, SBA records 1.8% 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* | 4 | $1.7M | $416K | 0 | 23 |
| FY2025 | 3 | $679K | $226K | 0 | 14 |
| FY2024 | 5 | $1.5M | $307K | 0 | 30 |
| FY2023 | 13 | $3.6M | $275K | 0 | 138 |
| FY2022 | 11 | $5.1M | $459K | 0 | 68 |
| FY2021 | 13 | $6.8M | $525K | 0 | 103 |
| FY2020 | 1 | — | — | 0 | 3 |
| FY2019 | 6 | $2.0M | $339K | 0 | 30 |
| FY2018 | 4 | $640K | $160K | 0 | 12 |
| FY2017 | 6 | $1.2M | $197K | 0 | 37 |
| FY2016 | 10 | $3.7M | $369K | 1 | 40 |
SBA's franchise field lists the brand as "WILD BIRDS UNLIMITED"; "Wild Birds Unlimited". Codes SBA has used for the same brand name are added together.
Charge-off cohort rate
| Loans approved FY2010–FY2021 | Wild Birds Unlimited | All SBA loans |
|---|---|---|
| Approvals in these years | 60 | 725,496 |
| Cancelled or never disbursed | 3 | 91,827 |
| Disbursed loans | 57 | 633,669 |
| Paid in full | 38 | 471,304 |
| Charged off | 1 | 37,796 |
| Still outstanding (status exempt from disclosure) | 18 | 124,569 |
| Charged off, share of disbursed loans | 1.8% | 6.0% |
| Dollars charged off, share of disbursed dollars | 0.5% | 2.2% |
| Dollars charged off | $76K | $6.20bn |
Lenders
| # | Lender, FY2021–FY2025 | Approvals | Dollars | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | First-Citizens Bank & Trust CompanyRaleigh, NC | 15 | $7.0M | 33.3% | |
| 2 | First Business BankMadison, WI | 4 | $1.5M | 8.9% | |
| 3 | The Huntington National BankColumbus, OH | 3 | $536K | 6.7% | |
| 4 | The Bancorp Bank National AssociationSioux Falls, SD | 2 | — | 4.4% | |
| 5 | BayFirst National BankSaint Petersburg, FL | 2 | — | 4.4% | |
| 6 | SouthState Bank, National AssociationWinter Haven, FL | 2 | — | 4.4% | |
| 7 | ConnectOne BankEnglewood Cliffs, NJ | 2 | — | 4.4% | |
| 8 | Pinnacle BankNashville, TN | 2 | — | 4.4% | |
| 9 | Republic Bank & Trust CompanyLouisville, KY | 2 | — | 4.4% | |
| 10 | Arbor BankNebraska City, NE | 2 | — | 4.4% | |
| 11 | Busey BankChampaign, IL | 1 | — | 2.2% | |
| 12 | Bank of America, National AssociationCharlotte, NC | 1 | — | 2.2% | |
| 13 | Simmons BankPine Bluff, AR | 1 | — | 2.2% | |
| 14 | Customers BankMalvern, PA | 1 | — | 2.2% | |
| 15 | Michigan State University Federal Credit UnionEast Lansing, MI | 1 | — | 2.2% |
States
| # | State of the business, FY2021–FY2025 | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Georgia | 6 | 13.3% | |
| 2 | Colorado | 3 | 6.7% | |
| 3 | South Carolina | 3 | 6.7% | |
| 4 | Wisconsin | 3 | 6.7% | |
| 5 | Tennessee | 3 | 6.7% | |
| 6 | North Carolina | 3 | 6.7% | |
| 7 | Florida | 2 | 4.4% | |
| 8 | Washington | 2 | 4.4% | |
| 9 | Michigan | 2 | 4.4% | |
| 10 | New Jersey | 2 | 4.4% | |
| 11 | Kentucky | 2 | 4.4% | |
| 12 | Nebraska | 2 | 4.4% | |
| 13 | New Mexico | 1 | 2.2% | |
| 14 | Missouri | 1 | 2.2% | |
| 15 | Ohio | 1 | 2.2% |
Filed under
| # | Industry group | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Other Miscellaneous Store RetailersNAICS 4539 | 23 | 51.1% | |
| 2 | Other Miscellaneous RetailersNAICS 4599 | 18 | 40.0% | |
| 3 | Sporting Goods, Hobby, and Musical Instrument RetailersNAICS 4591 | 3 | 6.7% | |
| 4 | Sporting Goods, Hobby, and Musical Instrument StoresNAICS 4511 | 1 | 2.2% |
Approval sizes
- $50,000 or less11.1%5
- $50,001 to $150,0006.7%3
- $150,001 to $350,00042.2%19
- $350,001 to $1 million35.6%16
- $1 million to $2 million4.4%2
Age of the businesses
- Existing, more than 2 years old15.6%7
- New business, 2 years or less13.3%6
- Startup, loan funds will open the business31.1%14
- Change of ownership40.0%18
Questions and answers
How many SBA loans go to Wild Birds Unlimited franchises?
96 approvals since FY2010, worth $28.9M; 45 in FY2021 to FY2025.
Which lenders make SBA loans for Wild Birds Unlimited franchises?
By approvals in FY2021 to FY2025: First-Citizens Bank & Trust Company (15), First Business Bank (4), The Huntington National Bank (3), The Bancorp Bank National Association (2), BayFirst National Bank (2).
How large is a typical SBA loan for a Wild Birds Unlimited franchise?
The average approval in FY2021 to FY2025 was $392K.
What share of Wild Birds Unlimited SBA loans are charged off?
Of 57 disbursed loans approved in FY2010 to FY2021, 1 (1.8%) are recorded as charged off; for all SBA loans from those years the figure is 6.0%.
Are SBA loans to Wild Birds Unlimited franchises rising?
Approvals in the three latest complete fiscal years total 21, against 25 in the three before: falling (-16%).
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