FLANIGANS ENTERPRISES INC 10-K

ITEM 1. BUSINESS General As of September 30, 2023, Flanigan’s Enterprises, Inc., a Florida corporation, together with its subsidiaries (“we”, “our”, “ours” and “us” as the context requires), (i) operates 31 units, consisting of restaurants, package liquor stores, combination restaurant/package liquor stores and a sports bar that we either own or have operational control over and partial ownership in; and franchises an additional five units, consisting of two restaurants (one of which we operate) and three combination restaurant/package liquor stores. The table below provides information concerning the type (i.e. restaurant, sports bar, package liquor store or combination restaurant/package liquor store) and ownership of the units (i.e. whether (i) we own 100% of the unit; (ii) the unit is owned by a limited partnership of which we are the sole general partner and/or have invested in; or (iii) the unit is franchised by us), as of September 30, 2023 and as compared to October 1, 2022. With the exception of “The Whale’s Rib”, a restaurant we operate but do not own, and “Brendan’s Sports Pub” a restaurant/bar we own, all of the restaurants operate under our service marks “Flanigan’s Seafood Bar and Grill” or “Flanigan’s” and all of the package liquor stores operate under our service marks “Big Daddy’s Liquors” or “Big Daddy’s Wine & Liquors”. TYPES OF UNITS FISCAL YEAR 2023 FISCAL YEAR 2022 Company Owned: Combination package liquor store and restaurant 3 3 Restaurant only, including sports bar 8 8 (1) Package liquor store only 8 7 (2) (3) Company Managed Restaurants Only : Limited partnerships 10 10 (4) Franchise 1 1 Unrelated Third Party 1 1 Total Company Owned/Operated Units 31 30 Franchised Units 5 5 (5) ____________________ Notes: (1) During the third quarter of our fiscal year 2022, we entered into a new lease for the business premises and purchased the assets of a restaurant/bar known as “Brendan’s Sports Pub” located at 868 S. Federal Highway, Pompano Beach, Florida and began operating the location under its current trade name. (2) During the first quarter of our fiscal year 2019, our combination package liquor store and restaurant located at 2505 N. University Drive, Hollywood, Florida (Store #19), was damaged by a fire which has caused it to be closed since the first quarter of our fiscal year 2019. During the first quarter of our fiscal year 2023, we opened our newly built stand-alone package liquor store on this site replacing our package liquor store destroyed by fire and previously operating here (Store #19P). We are constructing a stand-alone restaurant building on this site (adjacent to the package liquor store), replacing our restaurant destroyed by fire and previously operating here (Store #19R). This restaurant was not operational during our fiscal year 2023, but we believe this restaurant will be operational during our fiscal year 2024. (3) During the second quarter of our fiscal year 2023, our package liquor store located at 11225 Miramar Parkway #245, Miramar, Florida (Store #24) opened for business. (4) During the second quarter of our fiscal year 2022, our limited partnership owned restaurant located at 14301 West Sunrise Boulevard, Sunrise, Florida (Store #85) opened for business (the “2022 Sunrise Restaurant”). During the third quarter of our fiscal year 2023, our limited partnership owned restaurant located at 11225 Miramar Parkway #250, Miramar, Florida (Store #25) opened for business (the “2023 Miramar Restaurant”). (5) We operate a restaurant for one (1) franchisee. This unit is included in the table both as a franchised restaurant, as well as a restaurant operated by us. 1 History and Development of Our Business We were incorporated in Florida in 1959 and commenced operating as a chain of small cocktail lounges and package liquor stores throughout South Florida. By 1970, we had established a chain of "Big Daddy's" lounges and package liquor stores between Vero Beach and Homestead, Florida. From 1970 to 1979, we expanded our package liquor store and lounge operations throughout Florida and opened clubs in five other "Sun Belt" states. In 1975, we discontinued most of our package store operations in Florida except in the South Florida areas of Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach and Monroe Counties. In 1982, we expanded our club operations into the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area as general partner of several limited partnerships we organized. In March 1985, we began franchising package liquor stores and lounges in the South Florida area. (See Note 14 to the consolidated financial statements and the discussion of franchised units on pages 3 and 4). During our fiscal year 1987, we began renovating our lounges to provide full restaurant food service, and subsequently renovated and added food service to most of our lounges. Food sales currently represent approximately 78.71% and bar sales approximately 21.29% of our total restaurant sales. Our package liquor stores emphasize high volume business by providing customers with a wide variety of brand name and private label merchandise at discount prices. Our restaurants and our new sports bar establishment offer alcoholic beverages and food service with abundant portions and reasonable prices, served in a relaxed, friendly and casual atmosphere. We conduct our operations directly and through a number of limited partnerships and wholly owned subsidiaries, all of which are listed below. Our subsidiaries and the limited partnerships, (except for the limited partnership, where we are not the general partner, which owns and operates our franchised restaurant in Fort Lauderdale, Florida) are reported on a consolidated basis. Entity State Of Organization Percentage Owned Flanigan’s Management Services, Inc. Florida 100 Flanigan’s Enterprises, Inc. of Georgia Georgia 100 Flanigan’s Enterprises of N. Miami, Inc. Florida 100 CIC Investors #13, Limited Partnership Florida 45 CIC Investors #25, Limited Partnership Florida -- CIC Investors #50, Limited Partnership Florida 24 CIC Investors #55, Limited Partnership Florida 49 CIC Investors #60, Limited Partnership Florida 46 CIC Investors #65, Limited Partnership Florida 28 CIC Investors #70, Limited Partnership Florida 41 CIC Investors #80, Limited Partnership Florida 27 CIC Investors #85, Limited Partnership Florida 7 CIC Investors #90, Limited Partnership Florida 5 Josar Investments, LLC Florida 100 Flanigan’s Calusa Center, LLC Florida 100 Flanigan’s Fish Company, LLC Florida 51 2 Package Liquor Store Operations Our package liquor stores emphasize high volume business by providing customers with a wide selection of brand name and private label liquors, beers and wines while offering competitive pricing by meeting the published sales prices of our competitors. We provide sales training to our package liquor store personnel. The stores are open for business seven days a week from 9:00-10:00 a.m. to 9:00-10:00 p.m., depending upon demand and local law. Most of our units have "night windows" with extended evening hours. Company-Owned Package Liquor Stores . As of our fiscal year ended September 30, 2023, we own and operate eleven package liquor stores in the South Florida area under the name “Big Daddy’s Liquors” or “Big Daddy’s Wine & Liquors”, two of which are jointly operated with restaurants we own. Franchised Package Liquor Stores . We currently franchise three package liquor stores, all in the South Florida area, all of which are operated under the name “Big Daddy’s Liquors”. Of the three franchised package liquor stores, two are jointly operated with our franchisee’s restaurant operations and one is operated in a freestanding building adjacent to the franchisee’s restaurant operation. Two of the three franchised package liquor stores are franchised to members of the family of our Chairman of the Board, officers and/or directors. We have not entered into a franchise arrangement for either a package liquor store, restaurant or combination package liquor store/restaurant since 1986 and do not anticipate that we will do so in the foreseeable future. Generally, a franchise agreement with our franchisees for the operation of a package liquor store runs for the balance of the term of the franchisee’s lease for the business premises, extended by the franchisee’s continued occupancy of the business premises thereafter, whether by lease or ownership. In exchange for our providing management and related services to the franchisee and our granting the right to the franchisee to use our service mark, “Big Daddy’s Liquors”, franchisees of package liquor stores pay us weekly in arrears, (i) a royalty equal to approximately 1% of gross sales; plus (ii) an amount for advertising equal to between 1-1/2% to 3% of gross sales generated at the stores depending upon our actual advertising costs. For accounting purposes, we do not consolidate the revenue and expenses of our franchisees’ operations with our revenue and expenses. Franchise royalties we receive are recognized as revenue when sales are made by franchisees. Restaurant Operations Our restaurants provide a neighborhood casual, standardized dining experience, typical of casual restaurant chains. The interior decor of the restaurants is nautical with numerous fishing and boating pictures and decorations. The restaurants are designed to permit minor modifications without significant capital expenditures. However, from time to time we are required to redesign and refurbish the restaurants at significant cost. Drink prices may vary between locations to meet local conditions. Food prices are substantially standardized for all restaurants. The restaurants' hours of operation are from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00-5:00 a.m. depending upon demand and local law. Company-Owned Restaurants . We own and operate nine restaurants all under our service mark “Flanigan’s Seafood Bar and Grill” three of which are jointly operated with package liquor stores we own. We are constructing a stand-alone restaurant to be located in Hollywood, Florida to replace our restaurant destroyed by fire. We believe this restaurant will be operational during our fiscal year 2024. Franchised Restaurants . We franchise five restaurants, all of which operate under our service mark “Flanigan’s Seafood Bar and Grill”, two of which operate as a restaurant only, two of which operate jointly with a franchisee operated “Big Daddy’s Liquors” package liquor store and one of which operates adjacent to a “Big Daddy’s Liquors” package liquor store. Four of the five franchised restaurants are franchised to members of the family of our Chairman of the Board, officers and/or directors. We have not entered into a franchise arrangement for either a package liquor store, restaurant or combination package liquor store/restaurant since 1986 and do not anticipate that we will do so in the foreseeable future. Generally, a franchise agreement with our franchisees for the operation of a restaurant runs for the balance of the term of the franchisee’s lease for the business premises, extended by the franchisee’s continued occupancy of the business premises thereafter, whether by lease or ownership. In exchange for our providing management and related services to the franchisee and our granting the right to the franchisee to use our service mark, “Flanigan’s Seafood Bar and Grill”, our franchisees pay us weekly in arrears, (i) a royalty equal to approximately 3% of gross sales; plus (ii) an amount for advertising equal to between 1-1/2% to 3% of gross sales from the restaurants depending upon our actual advertising costs. For accounting purposes, we do not consolidate the revenue and expenses of our franchisees’ operations with our revenue and expenses. Franchise royalties we receive are recognized as revenue when sales are made by franchisees. 3 Restaurants Owned by Affiliated Limited Partnerships We have invested along with others, (some of whom are or are affiliated with our officers and directors), in eleven limited partnerships which currently own and operate eleven South Florida based restaurants under our service mark “Flanigan’s Seafood Bar and Grill”. In addition to being a limited partner in these limited partnerships, we are the sole general partner of ten of these limited partnerships and manage and control the operations of these restaurants. We are only a limited partner in the limited partnership which owns and operates the restaurant located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Generally, the terms of the limited partnership agreements provide that until the investors’ cash investment in a limited partnership (including any cash invested by us) is returned in full, (available cash is distributed to the investors pro-rata based on ownership interest), the limited partnership distributes to the investors annually out of available cash from the operation of the restaurant, as a return of capital, up to 25% of the cash invested in the limited partnership, with no management fee paid to us. Any available cash in excess of the 25% of the cash invested in the limited partnership distributed to the investors annually, is paid one-half (½) to us as a management fee and one-half (½) to the investors, (including us), pro-rata based on the investors’ investment, as a return of capital. Once all of the investors, (including us), have received, in full, amounts equal to their cash invested, an annual management fee becomes payable to us equal to one-half (½) of cash available to be distributed, with the other one-half (½) of available cash distributed to the investors (including us), as a profit distribution, pro-rata based on the investors’ investment. As of September 30, 2023, all limited partnerships, with the exception of the 2022 Sunrise Restaurant, which opened for business in March, 2022 and the 2023 Miramar Restaurant, which opened for business in April, 2023, have returned all cash invested and we receive an annual management fee equal to one-half (½) of the cash available for distribution by the limited partnership. In addition to receipt of distributable amounts from the limited partnerships, we receive a fee equal to 3% of gross sales for use of our service marks “Flanigan’s Seafood Bar and Grill” or “Flanigan’s”, which use is authorized while we act as general partner only. This 3% fee is “earned” when sales are made by the limited partnerships and is paid weekly, in arrears. Whether we will have any additional restaurants under development in the future will be dependent, among other things, on market conditions and our ability to raise capital. We anticipate that we will continue to form limited partnerships to raise funds to own and operate restaurants under our service marks “Flanigan’s Seafood Bar and Grill” or “Flanigan’s” using the same or substantially similar financial arrangements. Below is information on the eleven limited partnerships which own and operate “Flanigan’s Seafood Bar and Grill” or “Flanigan’s” restaurants: Surfside, Florida We are the sole general partner and a 46% limited partner in this limited partnership which has owned and operated a restaurant in Surfside, Florida under our “Flanigan’s Seafood Bar and Grill” service mark since March 6, 1998. 33.3% of the remaining limited partnership interest is owned by persons who are either our officers, directors or their family members. This limited partnership has returned to its investors all of their initial cash invested and we receive an annual management fee equal to one-half (½) of the cash available for distribution by this limited partnership. Kendall, Florida We are the sole general partner and a 41% limited partner in this limited partnership which has owned and operated a restaurant in Kendall, Florida under our “Flanigan’s Seafood Bar and Grill” service mark since April 4, 2000. 28.3% of the remaining limited partnership interest is owned by persons who are either our officers, directors or their family members. This limited partnership has returned to its investors all of their initial cash invested and we receive an annual management fee equal to one-half (½) of the cash available for distribution by this limited partnership. West Miami, Florida We are the sole general partner and a 27% limited partner in this limited partnership which has owned and operated a restaurant in West Miami, Florida under our “Flanigan’s Seafood Bar and Grill” service mark since October 11, 2001. 32.7% of the remaining limited partnership interest is owned by persons who are either our officers, directors or their family members. This limited partnership has returned to its investors all of their initial cash invested and we receive an annual management fee equal to one-half (½) of the cash available for distribution by this limited partnership. 4 Wellington, Florida We are the sole general partner and a 28% limited partner in this limited partnership which has owned and operated a restaurant in Wellington, Florida under our “Flanigan’s Seafood Bar and Grill” service mark since May 27, 2005. 22.4% of the remaining limited partnership interest is owned by persons who are either our officers, directors or their family members. This limited partnership has returned to its investors all of their initial cash invested and we receive an annual management fee equal to one-half (½) of the cash available for distribution by this limited partnership. Pinecrest, Florida We are the sole general partner and 45% limited partner in this limited partnership which has owned and operated a restaurant in Pinecrest, Florida under our “Flanigan’s Seafood Bar and Grill” service mark since August 14, 2006. 20.2% of the remaining limited partnership interest is owned by persons who are either our officers, directors or their family members. This limited partnership has returned to its investors all of their initial cash invested and we receive an annual management fee equal to one-half (½) of the cash available for distribution by this limited partnership. Pembroke Pines, Florida We are the sole general partner and a 24% limited partner in this limited partnership which has owned and operated a restaurant in Pembroke Pines, Florida under our “Flanigan’s Seafood Bar and Grill” service mark since October 29, 2007. 23.8% of the remaining limited partnership interest is owned by persons who are either our officers, directors or their family members. This limited partnership has returned to its investors all of their initial cash invested and we receive an annual management fee equal to one-half (½) of the cash available for distribution by this limited partnership. Davie, Florida We are the sole general partner and a 49% limited partner in this limited partnership which has owned and operated a restaurant in Davie, Florida under our “Flanigan’s Seafood Bar and Grill” service mark since July 28, 2008. 12.3% of the remaining limited partnership interest is owned by persons who are either our officers, directors or their family members. This limited partnership has returned to its investors all of their initial cash invested and we receive an annual management fee equal to one-half (½) of the cash available for distribution by this limited partnership. Miami, Florida We are the sole general partner and a 5% limited partner in this limited partnership which has owned and operated a restaurant in Miami, Florida under our “Flanigan’s Seafood Bar and Grill” service mark since December 27, 2012. 26.8% of the remaining limited partnership interest is owned by persons who are either our officers, directors or their family members. This limited partnership has returned to its investors all of their initial cash invested and we receive an annual management fee equal to one-half (½) of the cash available for distribution by this limited partnership. Sunrise, Florida We are the sole general partner and a 7% limited partner in this limited partnership which has owned and operated a restaurant in Sunrise, Florida under our “Flanigan’s” service mark since March 20, 2022. 31.3% of the remaining limited partnership interest is owned by persons who are either our officers, directors or their family members. As of the end of our fiscal year 2023, this limited partnership has returned to its investors approximately 14.5% of their initial cash invested. Miramar, Florida We are the sole general partner in this limited partnership which has owned and operated a restaurant in Miramar, Florida under our “Flanigan’s” service mark since April 18, 2023. No units of limited partnership interest were purchased by the Company. 24.0% of the limited partnership interest is owned by persons who are either our officers, directors or their family members. As of the end of our fiscal year 2023, this limited partnership has returned to its investors approximately 10.0% of their initial cash invested. Fort Lauderdale, Florida A corporation owned by one of our board members acts as sole general partner of a limited partnership which has owned and operated a restaurant in Fort Lauderdale, Florida under our “Flanigan’s Seafood Bar and Grill” service mark since April 1, 1997. We have a 25% limited partnership interest in this limited partnership. 31.9% of the remaining limited partnership interest is owned by persons who are either our officers, directors or their family members. This limited partnership has returned to its investors all cash invested, but since we are not the general partner of this limited partnership, we do not receive an annual management fee. We have a franchise arrangement with this limited partnership and for accounting purposes, we do not consolidate the operations of this limited partnership into our operations. 5 Management Agreement for “The Whale’s Rib” Restaurant Since January 2006, we have managed “The Whale’s Rib”, a casual dining restaurant located in Deerfield Beach, Florida, pursuant to a management agreement. We paid $500,000 in exchange for our rights to manage this restaurant. The restaurant is owned by a third party unaffiliated with us. In exchange for providing management, bookkeeping and related services, we receive one-half (½) of the net profit, if any, from the operation of the restaurant. For our fiscal years ended September 30, 2023 and October 1, 2022, we generated $400,000 of revenue each fiscal year from providing these management services. Operations and Management We emphasize systematic operations and control of all package liquor stores and restaurants regardless of whether we own, franchise or manage the unit. Each unit has its own manager who is responsible for monitoring inventory levels, supervising sales personnel, food preparation and service in restaurants and generally assuring that the unit is managed in accordance with our guidelines and procedures. We have in effect an incentive cash bonus program for our managers and salespersons based upon various performance criteria. Our operations are supervised by supervisors, who visit all Company, limited partnership and franchise owned units and the managed unit to provide on-site management and support. There are three supervisors responsible for package liquor store operations and six supervisors responsible for restaurant operations. All of our managers and salespersons receive extensive training in sales techniques. We arrange for independent third parties, or "shoppers", to inspect each unit in order to evaluate the unit's operations, including the handling of cash transactions. Purchasing and Inventory The package liquor business requires a constant substantial capital investment in inventory at the stores. Our inventory consists primarily of liquor and wine products and as such, does not become excessive or obsolete that would require identifying and recording of the same. Liquor inventory purchased can normally be returned only if defective or broken. All of our purchases of liquor inventory are made through our purchasing department from our corporate headquarters. The major portion of inventory is purchased under individual purchase orders with licensed wholesalers and distributors who deliver the merchandise within one or two days of the placing of an order. Frequently there is only one wholesaler in the immediate marketing area with an exclusive distributorship of certain liquor product lines. Substantially all of our liquor inventory is shipped by the wholesalers or distributors directly to our stores. We significantly increase our inventory prior to Christmas, New Year's Eve and other holidays. Under Florida law, we are required to pay for our liquor purchases within ten days of delivery. Negotiations with food suppliers are conducted by our purchasing department at our corporate headquarters. We believe this ensures that the best quality and prices will be available to each restaurant. Orders for food products are prepared by each restaurant's kitchen manager and reviewed by the restaurant's general manager before orders are placed. Food is delivered by the supplier directly to each restaurant. Orders are placed several times a week to ensure product freshness. Food inventory is primarily paid for monthly. We purchase food and other commodities for use in our operations based on market prices established with our suppliers. Many of the food products purchased by us can be subject to price volatility due to market supply and demand factors outside of our control. We mitigate the risk of supply shortages and obtain competitive prices by utilizing multiple qualified suppliers for substantially all our food products. We negotiate short-term and long-term agreements for certain of our principal food product requirements, depending on market conditions and expected demand. We evaluate the possibility of entering into arrangements to assist us in managing risk and variability associated with the supply and demand of food products. In order to fix the cost and ensure adequate supply of baby back ribs for our restaurants for calendar years 2023 and 2024, we entered into purchase agreements with our current rib supplier, whereby we agreed to purchase approximately $6.8 million and $7.0 million of “2.25 & Down Baby Back Ribs” (industry jargon for the weight range in which slabs of baby back ribs are sold) from this vendor during calendar years 2023 and 2024 respectively, at prescribed costs, which we believe are competitive. The increase in our cost of baby back ribs for calendar year 2024 compared to calendar year 2023 is due to our purchase of ribs for Store #25, Miramar, Florida being open for the entire calendar year and Store #19, Hollywood, Florida anticipated to be open for a part of the calendar year, offset by a decrease in market price. 6 While we anticipate purchasing all of our rib supply from this vendor, we believe there are several other alternative vendors available, if needed. Information Technology Our restaurant and package liquor store point-of-sale and back-office systems provide information regarding daily sales, cash receipts, inventory, food and beverage costs, labor costs and other controllable operating expenses. Our restaurants and package liquor stores offer online ordering for to-go sales and our package liquor stores also offer delivery services by third-party vendors. Restaurant and package liquor store hardware and software support is provided by both our internal support services team as well as third-party vendors. Each restaurant and package liquor store has a private high-speed wide area connection to send and receive critical business data as well as to access web-based applications securely as well as a failover capability. All of our core and critical applications are backed up to external data centers. To mitigate business interruptions, we utilize a data backup and replication infrastructure between our onsite and external data centers, so all data is replicated nightly between the sites. We require cybersecurity awareness training for all staff members with access to our cyber systems. We also maintain cyber risk insurance coverage to further reduce our risk profile. Security of our financial data and other sensitive information remains a high priority for us, led by our information technology department. In an effort to further secure our customers’ credit card information, we employ an encryption and tokenization platform for all credit card transactions in our restaurants, ensuring no credit card data is stored in our internal systems. We also transact business through online ordering for both our restaurants and package liquor stores through third party vendors. (See Item 1A. Risk Factors and the discussion of cybersecurity risks on page 12.) Government Regulation Our operations are subject to various federal, state and local laws affecting our business. In particular, our operations are subject to regulation by federal agencies and to licensing and regulation by state and local health, food preparation and safety, sanitation, alcoholic beverage control, safety and fire department agencies in the state or municipality where our units are located. Alcoholic beverage control regulations require each of our restaurants and package liquor stores to obtain a license to sell alcoholic beverages from a state authority and in certain locations, county and municipal authorities. In Florida, where all of our restaurants and package liquor stores are located, most of our liquor licenses are issued on a "quota license" basis. Quota licenses are issued on the basis of a population count established from time to time under the latest applicable census. Because the total number of liquor licenses available under a quota license system is limited and restrictions are placed upon their transfer, the licenses have purchase and resale value based upon supply and demand in the particular areas in which they are issued. The quota licenses held by us allow the sale of liquor for on and off premises consumption (the “4 COP Quota Liquor License”). The other liquor licenses held by us or limited partnerships of which we are the general partner, are restaurant liquor licenses, which do not have quota restrictions or purchase or resale value. A restaurant liquor license is issued to every applicant who meets all of the state and local licensing requirements, including, but not limited to zoning and minimum restaurant size, seating and menu. The restaurant liquor licenses held by us allow the sale of liquor for on premises consumption only, (the “4 COP SFS Liquor License”). All licenses must be renewed annually and may be revoked or suspended for cause at any time. Suspension or revocation may result from violation by the licensee or its employees of any federal, state or local law regulation pertaining to alcoholic beverage control. Alcoholic beverage control regulations relate to numerous aspects of the daily operations of our units, including, minimum age of patrons and employees, hours of operations, advertising, wholesale purchasing, inventory control, handling, storage and dispensing of alcoholic beverages, internal control and accounting. As the sale of alcoholic beverages constitutes a large share of our revenue, the failure to receive or retain, or a delay in obtaining a liquor license in a particular location could adversely affect our operations in that location and could impair our ability to obtain licenses elsewhere. During our fiscal years 2023 and 2022, no significant pending matters have been initiated concerning any of our licenses which might be expected to result in a revocation of a liquor license or other significant actions against us. We are subject to “dram-shop” statutes due to our restaurant operations. These statutes generally provide a person injured by an intoxicated person the right to recover damages from an establishment that wrongfully served alcoholic beverages to the intoxicated individual. We carry liquor liability coverage as part of our existing comprehensive general liability insurance, which we believe is consistent with coverage carried by other entities in the restaurant industry. Although we are covered by insurance, a judgment against us under a dram-shop statute in excess of our liability coverage could have a material adverse effect on us. We currently have no “dram shop” claims. 7 Our operations are also subject to federal and state laws governing such matters as wages, working conditions, citizenship requirements and overtime. Significant numbers of hourly personnel at our restaurants are paid at rates related to the federal or Florida minimum wage, whichever is higher, and accordingly, increases in the minimum wage will increase labor costs. We are also subject to the Americans with Disability Act of 1990 (ADA), which, among other things, may require certain renovations to our restaurants to meet federally mandated requirements. The cost of any such renovations is not expected to materially affect us. A significant number of our hourly restaurant staff members receive income from gratuities. Many of our locations participate voluntarily in a Tip Reporting Alternative Commitment (“TRAC”) agreement with the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”). By complying with the educational and other requirements of the TRAC agreement, we reduce the likelihood of potential employer-only FICA (Federal Insurance Contributions Act) tax assessments for unreported or underreported tips. We are not under investigation or audit, nor have we been assessed for potential employer-only FICA tax assessments for unreported or underreported tips. We are also subject to laws relating to information security, privacy, cashless payments and consumer credit protection and fraud. We are not aware of any statute, ordinance, rule or regulation under present consideration which would significantly limit or restrict our business as now conducted. However, in view of the number of local jurisdictions within the State of Florida in which we conduct business, and the highly regulated nature of the liquor business, there can be no assurance that additional limitations may not be imposed in the future, even though none are presently anticipated. Human Capital We depend on our staff members to successfully execute all aspects of our day-to-day operations. Our ability to attract highly motivated staff members and retain an engaged, experienced team is key to successful execution of our strategy. We are currently operating in a competitive labor environment. If we are unable to hire or retain qualified restaurant management and operating personnel in an increasingly competitive market, we may be unable to effectively operate and grow our business and revenues, which could materially adversely affect our financial performance. Development and Training We invest resources to ensure our staff receive training in order to maximize their potential. In addition, we strive to provide our staff with career advancement opportunities. Our training programs allow us to fill certain of our management positions with internal candidates. Benefits and Wellness We believe access to healthcare is a compelling benefit for many staff members and we offer healthcare benefits to our hourly staff members who work a minimum of 30 hours per week, on average. We attempt to provide a robust suite of benefits and wellness offerings. Employee Engagement Listening to our staff members is an essential part of building an engaged workforce, and we provide avenues for staff to share their ideas and concerns. As of our fiscal year end 2023, we employed 1,855 persons, of which 707 were full-time and 1,148 were part-time. Of these, 57 were employed at our corporate offices in administrative capacities and 12 were employed in maintenance. Of the remaining employees, 74 were employed in our package liquor stores and 1,712 in our restaurants. None of our employees are represented by collective bargaining organizations. We consider our labor relations to be favorable. 8 Giving Back Another key aspect of our culture is giving back to the communities where our staff live and work, and uniting our staff members around charitable causes personal to them. We periodically donate to philanthropic organizations through campaigns designed to engage our staff company-wide service programs, as follows: ● Breast Cancer Awareness – We donate $10,000 annually to local Breast Cancer Support organizations. ● Donated over $100,000 to HOPE mission. Money is used for disaster and hunger relief all over the world, youth outreach, and community building. ● Achievement Awards – We provide schools in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach County with free meal coins and achievement awards throughout the year. We give out approximately 50,000 awards every year. ● Fishing Tournaments/Marine Conservation – We donate to fishing tournaments and beach cleanup projects. ● Supporting the local community – We donate funds to boy scouts, baseball teams, schools, etc. ● Sheridan House – We donated 500 backpacks to underprivileged children. We also collect and donate school supplies annually. ● Reclaimed Wood – All of our locations use reclaimed wood on interior walls. We also believe our sustainability programs and initiatives like restaurant-based composting and recycling and replacing our off-premise packaging with materials that reduce the use of plastics and improve recyclability serve to foster pride in our staff. Executive Officers Name Positions and Offices Currently Held Age Office or Position Held Since James G. Flanigan Chairman of the Board of Directors, Chief Executive Officer and President 59 (1) August Bucci Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President 79 2002 Jeffrey D. Kastner Chief Financial Officer, General Counsel and Secretary 70 (2) Christopher O’Neil Vice President of Package Operations 58 2016 (1) Chairman of the Board of Directors, Chief Executive Officer since 2005; President since 2002. (2) Chief Financial Officer since 2004; Secretary since 1995; and General Counsel since 1982. Flanigan’s 401(k) Plan Effective July 1, 2004, we began sponsoring a 401(k) retirement plan covering substantially all employees who meet certain eligibility requirements. Employees may contribute elective deferrals to the plan up to amounts allowed under the Internal Revenue Code. We are not required to contribute to the plan but may make discretionary profit sharing and/or matching contributions. During our fiscal years ended September 30, 2023 and October 1, 2022, the Board of Directors approved discretionary matching contributions totaling $70,000 and $71,000, respectively. Coronavirus Pandemic In March 2020, a novel strain of coronavirus was declared a global pandemic and a National Public Health Emergency. The novel coronavirus pandemic, (“COVID-19”) adversely affected and will, in all likelihood continue to adversely affect our restaurant operations and financial results for the foreseeable future. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) permitted the federal Public Health Emergency for COVID-19 (PHE) declared by the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (Secretary) under Section 319 of the Public Health Service (PHS) Act to expire at the end of the day on May 11, 2023. During the second quarter of our fiscal year 2021, certain of the entities owning the limited partnership stores (the “LP’s”), as well as the store we manage but do not own (the “Managed Store”), applied for and received loans from an unrelated third party lender pursuant to the Paycheck Protection Program (the “PPP”) under the United States Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (the “CARES Act”) enacted March 27, 2020, in the aggregate principal amount of approximately $3.98 million, (the “2 nd PPP Loans”), of which approximately: (i) $3.46 million was loaned to six of the LP’s; and (ii) $0.52 million was loaned to the Managed Store. The 2 nd PPP Loan to the Managed Store is not included in our consolidated financial statements. During the first quarter of our fiscal year 2022, we applied for and received forgiveness of the entire amount of principal and accrued interest for all 2 nd PPP Loans, including the Managed Store. 9 COVID-19 has had a material adverse effect on our access to supplies or labor and there can be no assurance that there will not be a significant adverse impact on our supply chain or access to labor in the future. We are actively monitoring our food suppliers to assess how they are managing their operations to mitigate supply flow and food safety risks. To ensure we mitigate potential supply availability risk, we are building additional inventory back stock levels when appropriate and we have also identified alternative supply sources in key product categories including but not limited to food, sanitation and safety supplies. As of September 30, 2023, we are in compliance with the financial covenants contained in our loans with our unrelated third-party institutional lender (the “Institutional Lender”) under which we owe in the aggregate, approximately $21,610,000 (the “Institutional Loans”) of our total loans of approximately $23,128,000. During the first quarter of our fiscal year 2023, we satisfied the principal balance and all accrued interest due on our $5.5 million term loan to our unrelated lender. The outstanding principal balance ($367,000) and accrued interest ($-0-) were paid in full on December 28, 2022. In February 2023, we determined that as of December 31, 2022, we did not meet the required Post-Distribution Basic Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio (the “Post-Distribution/Fixed Charge Covenant”) contained in each of our six (6) loans (the “Institutional Loans”) with our unrelated third party institutional lender (the “Institutional Lender’). On February 23, 2023, we received from the Institutional Lender, a written waiver of the non-compliance with the Post-Distribution/Fixed Charge Covenant (the “Covenant Non-Compliance”), pursuant to which, among other things, the Institutional Lender waived (1) the non-compliance as of December 31, 2022 and (2) their right to exercise certain remedies under the Institutional Loans, including the right to accelerate the indebtedness owed by us thereunder, resulting in the indebtedness under the Institutional Loans to be immediately due and payable, which would have a material adverse effect on the Company. The Post-Distribution/Fixed Charge Covenant requires we maintain a ratio of at least 1.15 to 1.00 and for the twelve (12) months ended September 30, 2023 our ratio was calculated to be 1.40 to 1.00. We have prepared projections going forward and expect to be in compliance. As a result, our classification of debt is appropriate as of September 30, 2023. There can be no assurances that we will be in compliance with our financial covenants thereafter due to, among other things, that our results of operations will likely continue to be materially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Absent a waiver, failure to be in compliance with our financial covenants would constitute a default under the Institutional Loans with our Institutional Lender when reported. Such a default, if not cured or waived, would allow the Institutional Lender to accelerate the maturity of the indebtedness we owe under the Institutional Loans, making it due and payable at the time. If maturity of the Institutional Loans were accelerated, it would have a material adverse impact on our consolidated financial statements and results of operations. General Liability Insurance For the policy year beginning December 30, 2022, we have general liability insurance which incorporates a deductible of $10,000 per occurrence for both us and the limited partnerships. During the fourth quarter of our fiscal year 2023 we converted the deductible of $10,000 per occurrence for both us and the limited partnerships to a $10,000 self-insured retention per occurrence. Our insurance carrier is responsible for $1,000,000 coverage per occurrence above our deductible, up to a maximum aggregate of $2,000,000 per year. We were also able to purchase excess liability insurance at a reasonable premium, whereby our excess insurance carrier is responsible for $10,000,000 coverage above our primary general liability insurance coverage. We are uninsured against liability claims in excess of $11,000,000 per occurrence and in the aggregate. We secured general liability and excess liability insurance for the period commencing after the expiration of the current policies on December 30, 2023. The $10,000 self-insured retention per occurrence increases to $50,000 for us but remains the same at $10,000 for the limited partnerships for the period commencing after the expiration of the current policies on December 30, 2023. (See Item 2. Subsequent Events for a discussion of general liability and excess liability insurance for the period commencing December 30, 2023 on page 31.) Our general policy is to settle only those legitimate and reasonable claims asserted and to aggressively defend and go to trial, if necessary, on frivolous and unreasonable claims. Under our current liability insurance policy, certain expenses incurred in defending a claim, including attorney's fees, are a part of our $10,000 deductible and/or our self-insured retention. In accordance with accounting guidance, we accrue for any liability by recognizing costs when it is probable that a covered liability has been incurred and the cost can be reasonably estimated. Accordingly, our annual insurance costs may be subject to adjustment from previous estimates as facts and circumstances change. Our accruals are included in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets in the caption "Accounts payable and accrued expenses". A significant unfavorable judgment or settlement against us in excess of our liability insurance coverage could have a materially adverse effect on the Company. 10 Property Insurance; Windstorm Insurance; Deductibles For the policy year beginning December 30, 2022, our property insurance is a one (1) year policy with an unaffiliated third party insurance carrier, including coverage for properties leased by us and our consolidated limited partnerships, and provides for full insurance coverage for property losses, including those caused by windstorm, such as a hurricane. For property losses caused by windstorm, the property insurance has a fixed deductible of $100,000, plus 5% of all insured losses, per occurrence. For all other property losses, the property insurance has deductibles of $10,000 per location, per occurrence. We secured property insurance for the period commencing after the expiration of the current policy on December 30, 2023. (See Item 2. Subsequent Events for a discussion of property insurance for the period commencing December 30, 2023 on page 31.) Insurance Premiums Prior to fiscal year 2023, we financed our annual insurance premiums. Due to higher interest rates, during the first quarter of our fiscal year 2023, for the policy year commencing December 30, 2022, we paid the premiums for property, general liability, excess liability and terrorist policies, totaling approximately $3.281 million, which includes coverage for our franchisees (which is $658,000), which are not included in our consolidated financial statements. Due to continuing higher interest rates, for the policy year commencing December 30, 2023 we will pay the premiums for property, general liability, excess liability, crime and terrorism policies in full without financing. (See Item 2. Subsequent Events for a discussion of property, general liability, excess liability, crime and terrorism insurance policies for the period commencing December 30, 2023 on page 31.) We paid the $3,281,000 annual premium amounts on January 9, 2023, which includes coverage for our franchisees which are not included in our consolidated financial statements. Competition and the Company's Market The liquor and hospitality industries are highly competitive and are often affected by changes in taste and entertainment trends among the public, by local, national and economic conditions affecting spending habits, and by population and traffic patterns. We believe that the principal means of competition among package liquor stores is price and that, in general, the principal means of competition among restaurants include the location, type and quality of facilities and the type, quality and price of beverage and food served. Our package liquor stores compete directly or indirectly with local retailers and discount “superstores”. Due to the competitive nature of the liquor industry in South Florida, we have had to adjust our pricing to stay competitive, including meeting all competitors’ advertisements subject to certain limitations. Such practices will continue in the package liquor business. We believe that we have a competitive position in our market because of widespread consumer recognition of the "Big Daddy's Liquors" and “Big Daddy’s Wine & Liquors” names. Our restaurants compete directly or indirectly with many well-established competitors, both nationally and locally owned. Effective March 26, 2023, we increased menu prices for our food offerings to target an increase to our food revenues of approximately 2.06% annually and on March 20, 2023 we increased menu prices for our bar offerings to target an increase to our bar revenues of approximately 5.65% annually to offset higher food and liquor costs and higher overall expenses. Effective October 3, 2021 and then effective December 19, 2021 we increased menu prices for our food offerings to target an increase to our food revenues of approximately 2.38% and 3.34% annually, respectively, to offset higher food costs and higher overall expenses and effective December 12, 2021 we increased menu prices for our bar offerings to target an increase to our bar revenues of approximately 7.80% annually. Prior to these increases, we previously raised menu prices in the third quarter of our fiscal year 2021. We believe that we have a competitive position in our market because of widespread consumer recognition of the “Flanigan’s Seafood Bar and Grill" and “Flanigan’s” names. We have many well-established competitors, both nationally and locally owned, with substantially greater financial resources than we do. Their resources and market presence may provide advantages in marketing, purchasing and negotiating leases. We compete with other restaurant and retail establishments for sites and finding management personnel. Our business is subject to seasonal effects, including that liquor purchases tend to increase during the holiday seasons. Trade Names We operate our package liquor stores and restaurants under the service marks; "Big Daddy's Liquors", “Big Daddy’s Wine & Liquors”, “Flanigan’s Seafood Bar and Grill", and “Flanigan’s”. We operate our sports bar under the service mark; “Brendan’s Sports Pub”. Our right to the use of the "Big Daddy's" service mark is set forth under a consent decree of a federal court entered into by us in settlement of federal trademark litigation. The consent decree and the settlement agreement allow us to continue to use and to expand our use of the "Big Daddy's” service mark in connection with our package liquor sales in Florida, while restricting future liquor sales in Florida under the "Big Daddy's" name by the other party who has a federally registered service mark for "Big Daddy's" use in the restaurant business. The federal court retained jurisdiction to enforce the consent decree. We have acquired registered Federal trademarks on the principal register for our “Big Daddy’s Liquors”, "Flanigan's" and “Flanigan’s Seafood Bar and Grill” service marks. 11 The standard symbolic trademark associated with our facilities and operations is the bearded face and head of "Big Daddy" which is predominantly displayed at all "Flanigan's" facilities and all "Big Daddy's" facilities throughout the country. The face comprising this trademark is that of the Company’s founder, Joseph "Big Daddy" Flanigan, and is a federally registered trademark owned by us.