Circle K Franchise Failure Rate
SBA 7(a) loan default data, FY2010–FY2019 · Updated 2026
Circle K franchisees defaulted on 0.0% of SBA 7(a) loans between FY2010 and FY2019 — 0 of 36 loans were charged off — according to U.S. Small Business Administration data. That is lower than the Gasoline Stations with Convenience Stores industry average of 3.9%.
- 0.0%SBA default rate0 of 36 loans
- 36loans resolvedapproved FY2010–FY2019
- 3.9%Gasoline Stations with Convenience Stores averageall SBA loans in the industry
- 1st lowestindustry rankof 13 Gasoline Stations with Convenience Stores brands
| SBA default rate | 0.0% |
|---|---|
| Loans approved | 36 |
| Loans charged off | 0 |
| Date range | FY2010–FY2019 |
| Industry | Gasoline Stations with Convenience Stores |
| Industry average | 3.9% |
| Data source | U.S. SBA 7(a) FOIA loan data |
Most SBA default figures published online use loans approved since 2020 — loans that have had six years or less to fail — so those rates are floors, not outcomes. Every rate on this site is computed from the matured FY2010–FY2019 cohort: loans that have been paid in full or charged off, so the result is settled. Loans approved since 2020 are shown as counts so early charge-offs are visible without being mistaken for a rate.
Source: U.S. SBA FOIA dataset, statuses as of June 30, 2026. Figures also in the comparison table below.
None of the 36 Circle K SBA borrowers in the sample failed to repay — well below the Gasoline Stations with Convenience Stores average of 3.9%.
What is the Circle K franchise failure rate on SBA loans?
Circle K is a Gasoline Stations with Convenience Stores franchise. This page reports the outcome of every SBA 7(a) loan the U.S. Small Business Administration's public FOIA file attributes to Circle K franchisees: 36 loans approved between fiscal 2010 and 2019, of which 0 were charged off. Loan statuses are as of June 30, 2026, and the cohort has matured, so these are settled outcomes rather than projections.
- SBA 7(a) loans approved FY2010–FY201936
- Charged off0
- Charge-off rate0.0%
- Gasoline Stations with Convenience Stores franchise benchmark3.9%
- All-franchise SBA benchmark10.2%
- Average loan size, 2010s cohort$1,171,689
- New SBA loans since 202021
- Early charge-offs since 20200
How does Circle K compare with other Gasoline Stations with Convenience Stores franchises?
The table sets Circle K's charge-off rate beside its Gasoline Stations with Convenience Stores 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.
| Measure | Circle K | Gasoline Stations with Convenience Stores | All franchises | All SBA borrowers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Default (charge-off) rate | 0.0% | 3.9% | 10.2% | 8.0% |
| Loans in sample | 36 | — | — | — |
| Defaults | 0 | — | — | — |
| Average loan size | $1,171,689 | — | — | — |
What has Circle K SBA lending looked like since 2020?
Since 2020, Circle K franchisees have taken 21 new SBA 7(a) loans. None have charged off to date, though most remain outstanding and unresolved.
Loans approved since 2020, by fiscal year — counts only: 0 have charged off to date and most are still outstanding, so no rate is drawn.
Source: U.S. SBA FOIA dataset, statuses as of June 30, 2026.
Show the numbers behind this chart
| Fiscal year | Loans | Charged off | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2010 | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
| FY2011 | 3 | 0 | 0.0% |
| FY2012 | 3 | 0 | 0.0% |
| FY2013 | 4 | 0 | 0.0% |
| FY2014 | 3 | 0 | 0.0% |
| FY2015 | 4 | 0 | 0.0% |
| FY2016 | 6 | 0 | 0.0% |
| FY2017 | 6 | 0 | 0.0% |
| FY2018 | 3 | 0 | 0.0% |
| FY2019 | 3 | 0 | 0.0% |
| FY2020 | 7 | — | outstanding |
| FY2021 | 4 | — | outstanding |
| FY2022 | 3 | — | outstanding |
| FY2023 | 2 | — | outstanding |
| FY2024 | 1 | — | outstanding |
| FY2025 | 3 | — | outstanding |
| FY2026 | 1 | — | outstanding |
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?
Circle K's figure rests on 36 resolved SBA 7(a) loans approved between fiscal 2010 and 2019. That cohort has matured, so the rate is a settled outcome, not a projection. With 36 resolved loans, one default moves the rate by about 2.8 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 Circle K figure is recomputed from the public SBA FOIA file on each rebuild.
Based on 36 resolved loans — directional, not precise.
Is Circle K in financial trouble? What the SBA data shows
Circle K's SBA 7(a) default rate was 0.0% for loans approved FY2010–FY2019 (0 of 36 loans charged off) — the lowest of 13 Gasoline Stations with Convenience Stores brands tracked here. A default rate this far below the Gasoline Stations with Convenience Stores average of 3.9% is not, on its own, a sign of distress.
Frequently asked
- What is Circle K's franchise failure rate?
- Circle K franchisees defaulted on 0.0% of SBA 7(a) loans between FY2010 and FY2019 — 0 of 36 loans were charged off — according to U.S. Small Business Administration data. That is lower than the Gasoline Stations with Convenience Stores industry average of 3.9%.
- How does Circle K compare to other Gasoline Stations with Convenience Stores franchises?
- Circle K's 0.0% SBA default rate is lower than the Gasoline Stations with Convenience Stores industry average of 3.9%. See every Gasoline Stations with Convenience Stores franchise ranked on the Gasoline Stations with Convenience Stores industry page. Gasoline Stations with Convenience Stores franchises →
- What does 'SBA default rate' mean?
- An SBA default rate is the share of SBA 7(a) loans, approved FY2010–FY2019 and since resolved (paid in full or charged off), that were charged off — written off after the borrower failed to repay. It is not a measure of unit closures.
Source
Source: U.S. Small Business Administration, 7(a) loan program charge-off data, FY2010–FY2019. Franchise data is matched on the SBA's franchise code / brand name. "Failure rate" here means the share of approved loans (resolved: paid in full or charged off) that were charged off; it is not a measure of unit closures. Last updated September 30, 2026.
Every brand in one table, with percentiles and breakdowns by year, industry and loan size: franchise SBA default rates, all 415 brands.
Cite this page
Franchise Default Rates (2026). Circle K franchise SBA 7(a) default rate, FY2010–FY2019 cohort: 0.0% (0 of 36 loans charged off). Derived from U.S. SBA FOIA data, loan statuses as of June 30, 2026.
https://franchisefailurerates.com/franchise/circle-k/ · Data & methodology · Download the dataset (CSV)