Franchise Failure Rates

SBA 7(a) loan outcomes · FY2010–FY2019 cohort · Statuses as of June 30, 2026 · Last updated August 17, 2026

Retro Fitness Franchise Failure Rate: 8.8% SBA Loan Defaults (2010–2019 Federal Data)

8.8%
charge-off rate on 57 SBA 7(a) loans to Retro Fitness franchisees, FY2010–2019
Charge-off rate, SBA 7(a) loans approved FY2010–FY2019 — Retro Fitness against its industry and all franchises
Charge-off rate, SBA 7(a) loans approved FY2010–FY2019: Retro Fitness 8.8%; Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers 11.4%; All franchises 10.2%Retro Fitness 8.8%; Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers 11.4%; All franchises 10.2%0%5%10%Retro Fitness8.8%Fitness and RecreationalSports Centers11.4%All franchises10.2%
Charge-off rate, SBA 7(a) loans approved FY2010–FY2019: Retro Fitness 8.8%; Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers 11.4%; All franchises 10.2%Retro Fitness 8.8%; Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers 11.4%; All franchises 10.2%0%5%10%Retro Fitness8.8%Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers11.4%All franchises10.2%

Source: U.S. SBA FOIA dataset, statuses as of June 30, 2026. Figures also in the comparison table below.

About 1 in 11 Retro Fitness SBA borrowers failed to repay — below the Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers average of 11.4%.

Between 2010 and 2019, 57 Retro Fitness franchisees financed with SBA 7(a) loans. 5 defaulted — a 8.8% charge-off rate, 0.8x the Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers average of 11.4%. Source: U.S. Small Business Administration FOIA dataset, loan statuses as of June 30, 2026.

What is the Retro Fitness franchise failure rate on SBA loans?

Retro Fitness is a Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers franchise. This page reports the outcome of every SBA 7(a) loan the U.S. Small Business Administration's public FOIA file attributes to Retro Fitness franchisees: 57 loans approved between fiscal 2010 and 2019, of which 5 were charged off. Loan statuses are as of June 30, 2026, and the cohort has matured, so these are settled outcomes rather than projections.

How does Retro Fitness compare with other Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers franchises?

The table sets Retro Fitness's charge-off rate beside its Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers peers and the two economy-wide benchmarks. All figures use the same cohort — SBA 7(a) loans approved FY2010–FY2019, statuses as of June 30, 2026 — and the same denominator of resolved loans, so they are directly comparable.

Retro Fitness versus benchmarks, SBA 7(a) loans approved FY2010–FY2019, statuses as of June 30, 2026. Source: U.S. SBA FOIA dataset.
MeasureRetro FitnessFitness and Recreational Sports CentersAll franchisesAll SBA borrowers
Default (charge-off) rate8.8%11.4%10.2%8.0%
Loans in sample57———
Defaults5———
Average loan size$968,877———
Charge-off rate by approval year — share of each fiscal year's Retro Fitness SBA 7(a) loans that later defaulted (FY2010–FY2019); years with fewer than 10 loans are outlined, not filled
Charge-off rate by approval year: FY2010 0% of 6 loans; FY2012 0% of 4 loans; FY2013 0% of 5 loans; FY2014 14% of 14 loans; FY2015 0% of 10 loans; FY2016 10% of 10 loans; FY2017 0% of 6 loans; FY2018 100% of 2 loansCharge-off rate by approval year: FY2010 0% of 6 loans; FY2012 0% of 4 loans; FY2013 0% of 5 loans; FY2014 14% of 14 loans; FY2015 0% of 10 loans; FY2016 10% of 10 loans; FY2017 0% of 6 loans; FY2018 100% of 2 loans0%8%15%0%2010n=60%2012n=40%2013n=514%2014n=140%2015n=1010%2016n=100%2017n=6100%2018n=2
Charge-off rate by approval year: FY2010 0% of 6 loans; FY2012 0% of 4 loans; FY2013 0% of 5 loans; FY2014 14% of 14 loans; FY2015 0% of 10 loans; FY2016 10% of 10 loans; FY2017 0% of 6 loans; FY2018 100% of 2 loansCharge-off rate by approval year: FY2010 0% of 6 loans; FY2012 0% of 4 loans; FY2013 0% of 5 loans; FY2014 14% of 14 loans; FY2015 0% of 10 loans; FY2016 10% of 10 loans; FY2017 0% of 6 loans; FY2018 100% of 2 loans0%8%15%0%’10n=60%’12n=40%’13n=514%’14n=140%’15n=1010%’16n=100%’17n=6100%’18n=2

Source: U.S. SBA FOIA dataset, statuses as of June 30, 2026.

Show the numbers behind this chart
Fiscal yearLoansCharged offRate
FY2010600.0%
FY2012400.0%
FY2013500.0%
FY201414214.3%
FY20151000.0%
FY201610110.0%
FY2017600.0%
FY201822100.0%

How to read this

A charge-off means a franchisee borrowed, operated, and failed severely enough that the SBA wrote off the government-guaranteed loan. Unlike franchisor marketing or Item 19 disclosures, this is an observed outcome recorded by a federal agency. One caveat cuts the other way: SBA borrowers are typically less capitalized than all-cash buyers, so these rates can overstate risk for well-funded operators.

How reliable is this number?

Retro Fitness's figure rests on 57 resolved SBA 7(a) loans approved between fiscal 2010 and 2019 — a matured cohort, so the rate is a settled outcome, not a projection. With 57 resolved loans, one default moves the rate by about 1.8 percentage points. Loans approved since 2020 are excluded from the rate because most are still outstanding; they appear on this page as counts only. Every Retro Fitness figure is recomputed from the public SBA FOIA file on each rebuild.

Based on 57 resolved loans — directional, not precise.

Frequently asked

What is Retro Fitness's franchise failure rate on SBA loans?
Between 2010 and 2019, 57 Retro Fitness franchisees financed with SBA 7(a) loans. 5 defaulted — a 8.8% charge-off rate, 0.8x the Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers average of 11.4%. Source: U.S. Small Business Administration FOIA dataset, loan statuses as of June 30, 2026.
Is Retro Fitness a safe franchise investment?
Between 2010–2019, Retro Fitness franchisees defaulted on SBA loans at 8.8% versus a 11.4% industry average. This data is one input for due diligence; it is not investment advice.

Cite this page

Franchise Default Rates (2026). Retro Fitness franchise SBA 7(a) default rate, FY2010–FY2019 cohort: 8.8% (5 of 57 loans charged off). Derived from U.S. SBA FOIA data, loan statuses as of June 30, 2026.

https://franchisefailurerates.com/franchise/retro-fitness/ · Data & methodology · Download the dataset (CSV)