How much do lenders finance for a Papa John's Pizza franchise?

The median SBA loan approved for a Papa John's Pizza franchise is $219,400, with the middle 80% of loans between $65,500 and $341,600. That is the financed portion only - it excludes the buyer's equity injection. SBA lenders typically want that injection at 10% or more of total project cost for a business acquisition or new franchise unit.

Which lenders finance Papa John's Pizza franchises?

By dollars approved, the most active SBA lenders for Papa John's Pizza have been Republic Bank & Trust Company, Wells Fargo Bank, Wilmington Savings Fund Society, Byline Bank. Many franchise brands also maintain their own preferred-lender lists, and those may differ from who has historically approved the most volume.

How long are Papa John's Pizza SBA loans?

The median term is 8.9 yr. SBA 7(a) terms run up to 10 years for working capital and equipment, and up to 25 years when the loan is secured by real estate - so a longer median usually means the loans included property.

Do Papa John's Pizza SBA loans get charged off often?

14.6% of Papa John's Pizza loans approved between FY2010 and FY2019 that have reached a terminal status were charged off, against 7.6% across all SBA lending. Franchise-level charge-off rates reflect the era a brand expanded in as much as the concept itself - brands that grew hardest into the 2010s carry more seasoned, and more resolved, loans.

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Franchise financing

Financing a Papa John's Pizza franchise

SBA lenders have approved 116 loans against the Papa John's Pizza brand since FY2010, totalling $26.3M. The median approval was $219,400, counted from loans lenders approved rather than projections in a disclosure document.

Rank by loan count

#168

of 1,651 brands

Loans approved

116

FY2010 onward

Median loan

$219,400

Typical range

$66K-$342K

Middle 80% of loans

Median term

8.9 yr

Charge-off rate

14.6%

96 resolved FY10-19 loans

Source: U.S. Small Business Administration, SBA 7(a) and 504 FOIA data, as of 2026-06-30. Approvals from FY2010 onward. How we calculate this.

Lenders

Who financed Papa John's Pizza

Lender	Loans	Approved
Republic Bank & Trust Company	14	$3.4M
Wells Fargo Bank	10	$3.3M
Wilmington Savings Fund Society	5	$1.9M
Byline Bank	4	$1.5M
Zions Bank, A Division of	4	$1.0M
JPMorgan Chase Bank	5	$695K
Beacon Bank and Trust	1	$630K
Stearns Bank	2	$546K

Geography

Where Papa John's Pizza units were financed

State	Loans	Share
Illinois	13
Texas	12
New Jersey	12
California	10
New York	7
Florida	5
Colorado	5
Mississippi	5

The industry codes most often recorded on Papa John's Pizza loans: Limited-Service Restaurants (722513), Limited-Service Restaurants (722211), Full-Service Restaurants (722511). Each industry page lists the lenders and other brands in the same line of business.

Approvals by fiscal year

’10

’11

’12

’13

’14

’15

’16

’17

’18

Loan count by fiscal year - a rough proxy for how fast the brand was opening units. Final bar is a partial year.

Loan sizes

Under $50K
8%
$50K - $150K
23%
$150K - $350K
60%
$350K - $1M
8%
$1M - $2M
1%

Financing a franchise unit

Guidant Financial

Funds business and franchise buyers through 401(k) rollovers (ROBS), SBA loans, and portfolio lending, often combining them in one structure. Rollover structures are common among franchise buyers because they can supply the equity injection an SBA loan requires without taking on a second loan to do it.

Check options with Guidant Financial

Approved referral partner. We may be paid when a reader we refer starts an application. It changes nothing about the figures on this page. Those come from the SBA’s federal file.

An SBA 7(a) lender

An SBA 7(a) lender and marketplace for loans up to $500,000, plus bank term loans and custom financing. You apply on their site - we do not take applications and never see your information.

Check options with SmartBiz

We may be paid if you apply through this link. It does not change what we publish, and no lender can buy a place in our rankings. Details.

Financing a Papa John's Pizza: common questions

How much do lenders finance for a Papa John's Pizza franchise?: The median SBA loan approved for a Papa John's Pizza franchise is $219,400, with the middle 80% of loans between $65,500 and $341,600. That is the financed portion only - it excludes the buyer's equity injection. SBA lenders typically want that injection at 10% or more of total project cost for a business acquisition or new franchise unit.
Which lenders finance Papa John's Pizza franchises?: By dollars approved, the most active SBA lenders for Papa John's Pizza have been Republic Bank & Trust Company, Wells Fargo Bank, Wilmington Savings Fund Society, Byline Bank. Many franchise brands also maintain their own preferred-lender lists, and those may differ from who has historically approved the most volume.
How long are Papa John's Pizza SBA loans?: The median term is 8.9 yr. SBA 7(a) terms run up to 10 years for working capital and equipment, and up to 25 years when the loan is secured by real estate - so a longer median usually means the loans included property.
Do Papa John's Pizza SBA loans get charged off often?: 14.6% of Papa John's Pizza loans approved between FY2010 and FY2019 that have reached a terminal status were charged off, against 7.6% across all SBA lending. Franchise-level charge-off rates reflect the era a brand expanded in as much as the concept itself - brands that grew hardest into the 2010s carry more seasoned, and more resolved, loans.

Compare other brands

Median loan size and charge-off rate across every franchise in the SBA record.

SBA lenders for franchises

Lenders ranked by franchise loans made, with the brands each one financed.

How SBA 7(a) works

The programme most franchise buyers use, explained end to end.

Buying a franchise with an SBA loan

Equity injection, the franchise directory, and what lenders check.

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