Save - A - Lot
The total investment to open a Save - A - Lot franchise ranges from $140,000 to $775,000.
What is the Save - A - Lot franchise?
Save A Lot is a grocery store selling food and everyday groceries to shoppers. The estimated total initial investment is $140,000 to $775,000.
The company was founded in 1977 and is headquartered in Benzonia, Michigan.
Loan Activity Score
40/100
SBA Default Rate
7.3%
Active Lenders
28
According to its Franchise Disclosure Document or public business records, Save - A - Lot has 37 locations, all owned by franchisees. Public SBA loan records show 28 lenders made 41 loans to franchisees of Save - A - Lot. PeerSense calculates Save - A - Lot's score as 40 out of 100, using public SBA loan performance and recent lending activity.
Franchising since 1977 · 37 locations
$140,000 to $775,000
37
37 franchised
Proprietary PeerSense metric
FairDistinct lenders in public SBA records for Save - A - Lot
41
Total SBA loans
$439K
Average loan size
Source: public SBA 7(a) and 504 loan records through December 31, 2025
Referral fee at closing
SBA Lending Activity for Save - A - Lot
Loan Activity Score Breakdown
Established (25 to 99 loans)
Are lenders increasingly or decreasingly funding this brand? Growing trends score highest.
Blended default rate (recent + all time) compared to NAICS sector peers.
Quality lenders actively backing this brand, with penalty for lender pullback.
FDD availability, Item 19 disclosure, and overall data completeness.
Geographic spread of SBA funded locations across states.
SBA Lending Performance
SBA Default Rate
7.3%
vs 9.4% peer avg
SBA Loans
41
Total Volume
$18.0M
Active Lenders
28
3 selective
States
15
vs. SBA Sector Average
SBA loan default rate vs. all franchises in the same NAICS sector, not limited to direct competitors
Key Highlights
Franchise Financing Resources
Data Insights
Key performance metrics for Save - A - Lot based on SBA lending data
SBA Default Rate
7.3%
2.1% below peer avg
SBA Loan Volume
41 loans
Across 28 lenders
Lender Diversity
28 lenders
Avg 1.5 loans per lender
Investment Tier
Significant investment
$140,000 to $775,000 total
Save - A - Lot: Deep SBA Data
Brand specific metrics derived directly from SBA 7(a) approval records: peak lending year, leading state, average loan size, and lender concentration. PeerSense computes these per brand so capital advisors and prospective franchisees can benchmark this opportunity against the rest of the franchise universe.
Peak SBA Year
2012
5 approvals. The best year on record for Save - A - Lot.
Top SBA State
Michigan
9 SBA financed Save - A - Lot locations, the densest operator footprint.
Average Loan Size
$439K
Median $350K. Use as a sizing anchor when modeling your own Save - A - Lot unit.
Lender Concentration
24.4%
Moderately Spread
Share of Save - A - Lot approvals captured by the top 3 SBA lenders.
Save - A - Lot's SBA lending pipeline peaked in 2012 (5 approvals). Operator density is highest in Michigan with 9 SBA financed locations. Average funded ticket sits at $439K, with the median at $350K. Lender mix is moderately spread: the top three SBA lenders account for 24.4% of approvals. Borrowers have leverage to shop multiple credit boxes.
Payment Estimator
Estimated Monthly Payment
$1,449
Principal & Interest only
Indicative only, as of October 1, 2026. Not a quote, commitment or offer of credit. Final pricing, leverage and terms are determined by the lender at underwriting, after full transaction materials are reviewed. PeerSense sources the file. The lender sets pricing. What these terms mean.
Locations
Save - A - Lot, unit breakdown
Explore Funding for Save - A - Lot
Our business financing consultants help connect you with the right lending partners. Referral fee paid at closing.
Or get an instant analysis
Scan Your Deal InstantlyPage Review
Reviewed by Edward L. Freeman, Founder and Managing Director, PeerSense
- PeerSense is a capital advisory firm that places commercial financing with direct capital sources; it does not lend, fund, or approve loans, and the capital source sets final terms.
- Edward L. Freeman founded PeerSense in January 2020.
- He is a Registered Franchise Consultant with Business Alliance, Inc., a credential issued in March 2022, and worked as a franchise consultant there from March 2022 to May 2023.
- His recorded experience includes a $22 million SBA construction loan, with about $16 million funded on the deal.
- In the 12 months through September 30, 2026, PeerSense tracked 912 publicly announced financings with a disclosed size of $361.32 billion. PeerSense Capital Data Report · Methodology page
Last reviewed LinkedIn profileAbout Edward Freeman