SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA · FY1991–PRESENT · NEW YORK
Tropical Smoothie Cafe franchise in New York: what the public record shows
Franchisees of Tropical Smoothie Cafe in New York have taken 25 SBA loans since 1991 (average $485,184), and of the 12 loans whose story has ended, 16.7% were charged off — versus 10.7% for Tropical Smoothie Cafe nationally and 14.8% across all rateable franchise brands. Its latest FDD Item 20 state table reports 62 franchised outlets in New York (fiscal 2025) — about 0.31 per 100k residents.
Loans in NY
25
Resolved
12
Local charge-off
16.7%
National charge-off
10.7%
Source: SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA files (data.sba.gov), borrower state = NY. Charge-off rate = charged-off ÷ (charged-off + paid-in-full); open loans excluded. A local rate is published only when the resolved cohort clears our floor.
Businesses in this industry
44,621
statewide, all operators
Per 100k residents
224.6
national 179.9
Versus the country
+25%
denser
Every business in Tropical Smoothie Cafe's industry operating in New York — franchised and independent — from the Census Bureau's County Business Patterns (2023), against 2024 population estimates. Counter-intuitively, density is not a warning: across 198 brand-state cells in our loan data, the densest quartile charges off at 5.6% versus 18.1% in the thinnest. A crowded market is usually proven demand; an empty one is often empty for a reason.
| Fiscal year | Franchised | Company-owned |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 12 | — |
| 2014 | 15 | — |
| 2015 | 16 | — |
| 2023 | 49 | — |
| 2024 | 57 | — |
| 2025 | 62 | — |
| System | Loans in NY | Local charge-off | Units in NY |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dunkin Donuts/Baskin-Robbins Co-Brand | 231 | 11.1% | — |
| Quiznos | 134 | 34.3% | — |
| Cold Stone Creamery | 51 | 50.0% | — |
| Domino's Pizza | 37 | 15.4% | — |
| Burger King | 32 | 14.3% | — |
| Papa Johns | 23 | 31.3% | — |
| Carvel Ice Cream | 18 | 30.0% | — |
| Blimpie | 15 | 18.2% | — |
| Jersey Mike's Subs | 14 | thin | — |
| CHECKERS RESTAURANT OR RALLY'S RESTAURANT | 13 | thin | — |
| IHOP | 13 | thin | — |
| Arby's | 12 | 9.1% | — |
Same sector, same state, same public records — how Tropical Smoothie Cafe compares to the systems a buyer in New York would actually be choosing between. Local rates under 10 resolved loans are marked thin, not hidden.
A broker is paid by the franchisor to place you. An independent CPA is paid by you — and the job is pressure-testing Tropical Smoothie Cafe's numbers, including talking you out of a bad deal.
Talk to an independent CPA before you buy →