# SBA loans to Wetzel's Pretzels franchisees

**Short answer:** SBA's 7(a) file lists 50 loans to Wetzel's Pretzels franchisees since October 2019, with a median of $368,000. The middle half ran from $261,100 to $600,500. Source: SBA 7(a) loan file, June 30, 2026.

Canonical page: https://www.sbaexpress.loans/franchises/wetzel-s-pretzels/
Data as of: 2026-06-30

This page is not from Wetzel's Pretzels

Janover Capital LLC runs this site. Wetzel's Pretzels did not provide, review, approve or pay for this page. The name only identifies the brand SBA recorded on each loan. It is not an endorsement, and brand names are trademarks of their owners.

## SBA loans to Wetzel's Pretzels

SBA's file lists 50 loans to Wetzel's Pretzels franchisees. They were approved from October 2019 through June 2026 and are worth $27.79 million in all. 24 of them were approved since October 2023.

Loans to this brand carry SBA Franchise Identifier Code S1916. SBA issues a code only for a brand it lists on its Franchise Directory, and the lender enters it with the application (SOP 50 10 8.1, Sec. A, Ch. 1, Para. G.5). The latest of these loans were approved in FY2026, through June 2026. A listing can change, so check the [current Directory](https://www.sba.gov/document/support-sba-franchise-directory) before you apply.

SBA's file records 24 of these loans under [Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/industries/snack-nonalcoholic-beverage-bars/), the industry named on them most often.

**SBA 7(a) loans to Wetzel's Pretzels, by period**

| Measure | Oct 2019 to Jun 2026 | Oct 2023 to Jun 2026 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Loans approved | 50 | 24 |
| Dollars approved | $27,793,500 | $15,378,700 |
| Median loan | $368,000 | $509,650 |
| Middle half of loans | $261,100 to $600,500 | $356,000 to $744,500 |
| Median term | 120 months (10 years) | 120 months (10 years) |
| Through SBA Express | 14.0% | Fewer than 5 |
| Lines of credit | Fewer than 5 | Fewer than 5 |
| Median spread over Prime | Prime plus 2.5 points | Prime plus 2.75 points |
| Median rate at approval | Not shown | 10.25% |

Express means SBA Express and Export Express. Spread is for variable-rate loans only. No multi-year median rate is shown, because Prime moved too much to compare years.

## Loan sizes

The median loan was $368,000. The middle half ran from $261,100 to $600,500.

The largest group was loans of $150,001 to $350,000, with 17 loans.

Loans by size, Oct 2019 to Jun 2026

- $50,000 or less: Fewer than 5
- $50,001 to $150,000: Fewer than 5
- $150,001 to $350,000: 17
- $350,001 to $500,000: 11
- $500,001 to $1,000,000: 10
- $1,000,001 to $2,000,000: 5
- Over $2,000,000: Fewer than 5

Fewer than 5 means 1 to 4 loans, which are not published.

## Interest rates

Loans approved since October 2023 had a median rate of 10.25% at approval. On variable-rate loans the median was Prime plus 2.75 percentage points.

These are rates at approval. Prime moved during these years, so they are not today's rates. Prime is 7.00% as of Nov 10, 2026.

SBA caps the variable rate by loan size under 13 CFR 120.214(d). For a loan of $509,650, the cap is Prime plus 3.0 percentage points, or 10.00% at today's Prime. The cap is a ceiling, and your lender sets the actual rate.

## SBA Express

Of the 24 loans to Wetzel's Pretzels franchisees approved since October 2023, fewer than 5 went through SBA Express. For all 7(a) loans in the same period, the share was 35.8%.

SBA Express is capped at $500,000 per applicant and its affiliates (SOP 50 10 8.1, Sec. B, Ch. 2, Para. B.1). With SBA Express, the lender makes the credit decision without prior SBA review (Sec. B, Ch. 2, Para. C.2).

The median loan is above the SBA Express cap, so at least half of these loans were too large for SBA Express.

Share of loans through SBA Express

- This brand, Oct 2019 to Jun 2026: 14.0%
- All 7(a) loans, Oct 2019 to Jun 2026: 38.5%
- This brand, Oct 2023 to Jun 2026: Fewer than 5
- All 7(a) loans, Oct 2023 to Jun 2026: 35.8%

## Lenders

[First Bank of the Lake](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/sba-express-lenders/first-bank-of-the-lake/) made the most of these loans: 8 of 50. Since October 2023, no lender made 5 or more of these loans.

**Lenders with the most loans, Oct 2019 to Jun 2026**

| Lender | Loans |
| --- | --- |
| [First Bank of the Lake](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/sba-express-lenders/first-bank-of-the-lake/) | 8 |

A lender's past loans do not describe its current credit policy. Only lenders with 5 or more of these loans are listed.

## States

[California](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/california-small-business-loans/) had the most of these loans: 19 of 50.

**States with the most loans, Oct 2019 to Jun 2026**

| State | Loans |
| --- | --- |
| [California](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/california-small-business-loans/) | 19 |
| [Texas](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/texas-small-business-loans/) | 6 |

State is where the business is located, as recorded on the loan.

## Opening a first unit or adding one

Lenders usually treat a first unit as a start-up and an owner adding units as an expansion. The two get different questions from a lender.

SBA's rules in brief

SBA counts a business as a start-up when it has been in operation for 1 year or less. A Standard 7(a) or 7(a) Small loan to a start-up requires an equity injection of at least 10% of total project costs (SOP 50 10 8.1, Sec. B, Ch. 1, Para. C). Buying an existing unit falls under SBA's change-of-ownership rules (SOP 50 10 8.1, App. 15).

The [franchise financing guide](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/guides/franchise-financing/) covers the rest, each rule with its source.

Of the 50 loans to Wetzel's Pretzels franchisees, 54.0% went to startups, where the loan opens the business. 18.0% went to businesses in operation for more than 2 years. For all 7(a) loans, 16.6% went to startups.

Loans by age of the borrowing business, Oct 2019 to Jun 2026

- In business more than 2 years: 18.0%
- In business 2 years or less: 10.0%
- Startup (the loan opens the business): 54.0%
- Change of ownership: 18.0%

Share of loans. Fewer than 5 means 1 to 4 loans, which are not published.

The file records the age of the business that borrowed. It cannot tell a first unit from an added unit, and its startup category is not SBA's start-up test for equity.

## Charge-offs

The charge-off group is the 16 loans to Wetzel's Pretzels franchisees approved from October 2019 to September 2022. By June 30, 2026, none of them had been charged off.

For all 7(a) loans in the same group, 3.6% had been charged off.

**Charge-offs on loans approved October 2019 to September 2022**

| Measure | This brand | All 7(a) loans |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Loans in the group | 16 | 124,132 |
| Charged off by June 30, 2026 | None | 4,444 |
| Charge-off rate by count | 0.0% | 3.6% |
| Charge-off rate by dollars | 0.0% | 0.9% |

Small groups swing the rate

With 16 loans in the group, one loan more or fewer moves the rate by 6.2 percentage points, so treat it as a rough signal and do not compare it with other brands.

A count of zero from a small group does not show that a brand is safe.

How charge-offs are measured

The group is loans approved from October 2019 to September 2022, the newest loans old enough to have had time to go bad. A loan counts as charged off when the lender wrote it off as a loss, as SBA's file shows through June 30, 2026. [How we measure it](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/method/).

## Common questions

### Can I get an SBA loan to open or buy a unit of Wetzel's Pretzels?

Yes, if a lender approves you and the brand is eligible. Under SBA rules, a brand that meets the FTC definition of a franchise must be on the SBA Franchise Directory to obtain SBA financing (SOP 50 10 8.1, Sec. A, Ch. 1, Para. G). SBA's file records 50 loans to Wetzel's Pretzels franchisees from October 2019 through June 2026. That is history, not a current listing. Check the [SBA Franchise Directory](https://www.sba.gov/document/support-sba-franchise-directory), then ask your lender.

### Does this page say whether Wetzel's Pretzels is a good investment?

No. This page reports what SBA's loan file shows. A loan to a brand's owners is not a rating of the brand. SBA says a Directory listing is not an endorsement or a guaranty of the brand's success (SOP 50 10 8.1, Sec. A, Ch. 1, Para. G). Ask the brand for its franchise disclosure document and talk with current owners before you sign.

How to read this

Counts come from SBA's 7(a) loan-level data release, as of June 30, 2026. The file lists loans SBA approved. It does not list declined applications, so it cannot show approval odds. We do not publish any figure built on fewer than 5 loans. Franchise is the brand SBA recorded on the loan. Express counts SBA Express and Export Express loans. Cancelled loans are not counted. Business age is the answer recorded on the loan. [How we build these pages](https://www.sbaexpress.loans/method/).

## Sources

- [U.S. Small Business Administration, 7(a) and 504 FOIA loan-level data, as of June 30, 2026](https://data.sba.gov/dataset/7a-504-foia)
- [13 CFR § 120.214(d)(4); SOP 50 10 8.1, Sec. B, Ch. 2, Para. B.5 (Para. B begins p. 126)](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-13/section-120.214)
- [SOP 50 10 8.1, Sec. B, Ch. 2, Para. B.1 (p. 126)](https://legacy.sba.gov/sites/default/files/2026-10/SOP%2050%2010%208.1%20Technical%20Policy%20Updates%20effective%20%2010.1.2026.docx)
- [SOP 50 10 8.1, Sec. B, Ch. 2, Para. C.2 (Para. C begins p. 127)](https://legacy.sba.gov/sites/default/files/2026-10/SOP%2050%2010%208.1%20Technical%20Policy%20Updates%20effective%20%2010.1.2026.docx)
- [SOP 50 10 8.1, Sec. B, Ch. 1, Para. C (p. 118)](https://legacy.sba.gov/sites/default/files/2026-10/SOP%2050%2010%208.1%20Technical%20Policy%20Updates%20effective%20%2010.1.2026.docx)
- [SOP 50 10 8.1, Sec. B, Ch. 1, Para. C (p. 118); Sec. B, Ch. 2, Para. C (p. 127)](https://legacy.sba.gov/sites/default/files/2026-10/SOP%2050%2010%208.1%20Technical%20Policy%20Updates%20effective%20%2010.1.2026.docx)
- [SOP 50 10 8.1, Sec. A, Ch. 1, Para. G.5 (Para. G begins p. 30)](https://legacy.sba.gov/sites/default/files/2026-10/SOP%2050%2010%208.1%20Technical%20Policy%20Updates%20effective%20%2010.1.2026.docx)
- [SOP 50 10 8.1, App. 15, Para. A.1, Types of changes of ownership](https://legacy.sba.gov/sites/default/files/2026-10/SOP%2050%2010%208.1%20Technical%20Policy%20Updates%20effective%20%2010.1.2026.docx)
- [SBA Franchise Directory](https://www.sba.gov/document/support-sba-franchise-directory)